Remember the old nursery rhyme song…rain, rain go away, come again another day? I get the just of the words, but knowing what I know now, I’m not sure I can ever bring myself to sing that song again. I don’t know about where you live, but for many parts of the county, drought is a serious problem, including my state of North Carolina.
I’m also reminded of the saying we learned in elementary school, “April showers bring May flowers”. Yes, that is true, but where did those April showers go? Is your May flower garden showing the effects of so little rain? Sadly, this global crisis has been building for some time and it’s not getting any better.
I can’t do anything to change if and when it rains, but I have done the next best thing. When if does rain, I’m harvesting as much of it as I can. I do that with rain barrels positioned under my downspouts. Even with a quick shower, my 50-gallon rain barrel can fill to capacity. I especially enjoy the freedom having a harvested source of water provides. In my area, we’re under watering bans and restrictions. So irrigating my garden from a hose or sprinkler is rarely an option these days. With my harvested water, I’m able to use a ready source of fresh pure water on my plants and flowers whenever I need—and it’s legal.
I also collect water from inside the house as I’m waiting for the water to warm up in the sink and shower. Every minute that water runs from the faucet equates to gallons collected for use outside. It’s also a really good feeling to know that I’m not simply wasting that water either. After each bucket is filled I transfer the contents to one of many watering cans I have stored along the back deck. It doesn’t get any easier or more convenient.
So between my rain barrels and harvested water from inside, my May flowers and the rest of my garden for that matter, are doing just fine!
JL
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