When we bought our house a few years ago and started planning our Florida-Friendly yard, I knew one of the first things on my list was to install a rain barrel. The water use in our state far outstrips the demand, and since the weather patterns give us weeks of dry weather on end in the spring and fall, I knew it would be smart (and cost-effective) to harvest rain water for our fairly minimal watering needs.
Our rain barrel
At the time, the only commercial rain barrels available seemed to run in the $150 – $200 range, and we were hoping to save some money. So, after consulting some websites, we ordered a food grade barrel online. The picture showed a green barrel. The one we got was bright orange – not exactly subtle in the garden. After a few weeks or so, we finally got around to spray painting it to match the house. Then, we needed to install it. Seemed easy enough, except that none of our downspouts lined up in a way that made it easy to do. Finally, we found a diverter kit and got everything up and running. By which time, of course, the spring dry season was here and we had to wait eight weeks to see if it would work! (Click here for more details on our rain barrel experience.)
These days, though, more and more people are installing rain barrels, so products are widely available and the process can be fairly simple. Installing a rain barrel in the spring allows you to take advantage of spring rains (in areas that get them) or prepare for the downpours of summer. There are plenty of websites out there that discuss rain barrel installation, so rather than go into detail here, I’ve linked to a few of the more helpful below, as well as providing some possible rain barrel options for you to consider.
Going the Homemade Route:
- BirdsandBlooms.com – Rain Barrel Installation Video
- SWFWMD Recycle the Rain – Directions for making and installing a rain barrel
Buying a Ready-Made Rain Barrel and Installation Kit:
- BirdsandBlooms.com – Selecting a Rain Barrel Video
- Collapsible 74-Gallon Rain Barrel: This collapsible rain barrel allows you to take the barrel down and store it during colder or dryer months, if necessary.
- Fiskars 58-gallon Rain Harvesting System: This no-frills barrel is well-designed and ready to install, from a brand gardeners know and trust.
- Rain Wizard 65 Gallon Urn + Planter: For those concerned about the looks of the barrel, try this sleek design with a flower planter built right into the top.
- Fiskars Rain Barrel Diverter Pro Kit: When you can’t run your downspout directly into the barrel itself, this kit allows you to divert the water up to several feet away, even around a corner.
We’ve had our rain barrel for several years now, and we love it. Rain water is better for our plants than city water, and its better for our water bill too! Do you have a rain barrel, or are you thinking of getting one? Ask questions and offer tips to other readers in the comments section below.
Every Thursday, the Working for the Weekend segment highlights a project or job for Southeastern gardeners to tackle in the weekend ahead. Know of a project you’d like to see featured here, or a garden chore you’d like some help with? Make your suggestions in the comments section below.
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In the fall of 2009 we had some major landscaping done to our house in NC ,and I was concerned about all the water I’d have to use to make sure the new plantings took hold. My DH agreed that a rain barrel would work. I didn’t go the home made route but bought one from one of the home supply stores. The evening of the day we bought it, we had a big rain which filled it up (60 gallon) in one fell swoop ;>) All last summer I was able to use the rain barrel 95% of the time. Once in a while it wouldn’t rain for a while and I had to use tap water but really, really enjoy the rain barrel. They are great.
With the right paint you can even make rain barrels nicely decorative. A local Tampa artist mural painted two rain barrels for the MOSI gardens. Just make sure you buy a base coat that will bond to plastic and then you can paint on that with acrylics.
http://lepcurious.blogspot.com/2008/11/rain-barrels.html
Good idea, Kristen. Painting your rain barrel to your liking is a great way to showcase your creativity! Not to mention a great way to turn something not-so-appealing into a neat design for your yard.
Tons of great info, Jill. I’m glad you were able to paint your barrel to blend into the house more. Now it’s effective and fits better into your landscape!
Jill, thanks for this very informative article! I just got my rain barrels and am looking forward to installing them this weekend.
The Soil and Water Conservation in our area had a project with the local high schools. The high schools painted the rain barrels and then they were raffled off. 15 barrels total. I was one of the lucky 15 who won a barrel. The painted scene around my barrel is spring, summer, fall, & winter. The art work is great. I have been using by barrel frequently. It has rained enough to keep me in water for my large container gardens. I am anxious to see how much water I will save this year. Would recommend rain barrels to any gardener.
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