| |
| |
|
Landscaping & Gardening Information |
|
|
|
Water Conservation in the Garden - Use a Rain Barrel to Harvest Rainwater
If you are a gardener you probably already do a bit composting to recycle yard and kitchen waste. This homemade "Black Gold" does wonders for your plants and soil. But, have you discovered the gardening benefits of harvesting and recycling rainwater to use in the garden? Many communities nationwide are experiencing either short-term or long-term water shortages. Some communities have begun rationing programs and impose fines if a homeowner uses too much water. Why not try some simple rainwater harvesting techniques and use the water to irrigate your garden? You'll be able to water your plants when they need it and you may see a bit of savings on your water bill at the same time. Harvesting rainwater is as simple as placing a rain barrel under a roof gutter downspout. Practically any large, clean container can be used as a rain barrel. For instance, you can use a plastic or metal trash can. However, there are major benefits to using commercially designed rain barrels. Features of commercially available rain barrels include: childproof and pet-proof lids, mosquito screens, overflow hardware, spigots for attaching hoses, and the ability to link multiple barrels together. These features make using your rainwater much easier and safer. Many city water departments will give homeowners a rebate on their water bill if they buy a rain barrel. You can find durable, heavy-duty rainbarrels at most home improvement stores and garden centers. You can also order them from online suppliers. These rain barrels can be quite attractive also. Some are made to look like traditional round wooden barrels while some are square, or half-round to provide versatility and style when placing one beside your house. Some rain barrels currently on the market are made from recycled shipping containers for Mediterranean foods such as olives. What are some of the advantages of collecting rainwater for use in your garden? For starters, you will be doing your part to conserve both water and energy. When you use rainwater you will not be using your municipal drinking water and will not be using the energy it takes to pump it to your house. It's free, so you won't be billed for it! Rainwater is fresh and naturally low in salt and chlorine so it's good for your plants. Most of the time it is not cold and won't shock your plants like water from an underground source can do. Your grandparents probably used rain barrels to irrigate their gardens. Why not try something old to solve a new problem and conserve water by using a rain barrel? Even if you live in an area with very little annual rainfall you will be amazed when your rain barrel fills up after just one or two rain showers. Article by Amy Passmore for Waterwise Ways. Visit Waterwise Ways for more information on conserving water in your home and garden. This article may be freely distributed as long as the author's name and live website link appear.
MORE RESOURCES:
Landscaping-Gardening - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
9-11 Changed Everything for the Garden Tractor Business While traveling the US and occasionally taking the back highways one might have seen an interesting trend. That is the proliferation of the Lawn Garden tractors. The Design Principle of Unity in Gardening and Landscaping A principle of all art is unity. This means that each piece of art has one meaning. Landscape Wallpaper Landscape wallpaper can be a great addition to your computer's desktop. Since most of us always have our PCs running, it is refreshing to see a beautiful masterpiece on the display when the computer is not in use. How to Grow Cucumbers The versatile cucumber (cucumis sativus) is tasty pickled, in a salad, as a salad, in a sandwich, or just eaten raw. How to grow cucumbers depends largely in part on how you plan to eat them. Lawn Edging How do you make those flowers bloom where they are planted and not go overboard and how do you make your turf stick to its own turf and not edge into your flower beds, borders, and garden spaces? Lawn edging is the answer!Edging bricks, lawn timbers, and treated wood edging , molded plastic edging and heavy duty plastic strips are all ways to wall in your flowers and keep weeds out of your garden and the other landscaped areas of your yard. In addition to curbing your weed problem, lawn edging also keeps mulch and decorative landscape treatments in place. Water Pond Designs You can have different water pond designs, however ones that don't restrict water movement are the best. What I mean by that is you don't want to have a backyard pond with tight corners in it where it will be hard for water to circulate. What Type of Gazebo is Right for You? Top Questions You Need to Ask Having a gazebo in the backyard is an excellent way to enhancethe appearance while providing you with a quiet place to sit andrelax after a hard day at work. Gazebos are wonderful forbarbecue parties, family gatherings, or simply sipping on a cupof coffee or glass of lemonade on a lazy day. Chicken Soup for the Soil Keeping Your Soil HealthyYour soil is the most important part of your garden, but too many people forget to nurture their soil. Soil is a living thing, containing microbes, fungi, insect life and general "creepy-crawlies" vital to plant health and vigor, as well as a receptacle for chemicals and trace elements. You Say Tomato I Say Mosquito Gathering tomatoes or other fruits of the garden might not sound like a dangerous occupation, but with terrorism running rampant these days, even a walk thru the garden can require pre-emptive measures. In fact if you left the screen door open for a minute or so and heard a whiny frequency accompanied by a slight tickle it may already be too late, if that slight tickle was the allergic reaction of your skin cells to the Culex, Aedes or Anopheles mosquito, one of the several species that prefer humans, and are capable of transmitting microbial organisms to living cells. Lawn Disease And What To Do About It Every lawn, whether new or established, is susceptible to a variety of lawn diseases. Most lawn disease starts with a fungus. Patios And Garden Pavers Is your concrete or asphalt driveway an eyesore? Do you need to create an attractive retaining wall? Although most people use garden pavers to create patios, driveways and other hardscaping elements are often created using garden pavers, as well.More and more homeowners are tearing up their cracked and stained concrete or asphalt driveways. Gardenscape On A Shoestring Many of us flip through garden magazines, all the while thinking that it takes years, a professional, or tons of money to landscape the gardens featured in the glossy pictures. This isn't necessarily true. Perfume Your Garden and Home with Gardenias One of my favorite plants is the large white-flowered Mystery Gardenia (gardenia jasminoides) that grows to about 5' tall and wide. The perfume-like scent adds an exotic feeling to gardens. How to Grow Hydrangeas Whether you call them Hydrangea Macrophylla, House Hydrangea, French Hydrangea,, or Mopheads, growing Hydrangeas in the home garden can be an enjoyable experience. They are lovely, whether used as single plants or in mass, such as in a hedge, or border. Gardening and Flowers Gardening is one of life's pleasures whether you grow flowers, vegetables or herbs; we look forward to the planting season. But whether you are new or seasoned gardener, it's important to remember a few basic things. Tips for Backyard Fish Ponds Care Installing a backyard fish pond is an aesthetic addition to your landscaping and offers a bit of tranquility as well. However, taking care of backyard fish ponds is not as easy as one might think. How to Make Your Own Rooting Hormone When starting a new plant from a leaf or stem cutting, thecutting will be more likely to form roots and create a newplant if a rooting hormone is used.While commercial rooting hormone can be used there areorganic homemade versions that work as well. Orchid Care What The Flower Tells In Orchid Care The Flower Will Tell You About Some DiseasesTale for orchid care the flower. The orchid flower is usually a thing of beauty. Invite Spring Early - Grow in Your Basement Now's the time to get ready to grow your own seedlings! It's not really difficult, and can extend your growing season by many weeks. For example, by planting brassica's (cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower) in February in your basement under grow-lights, you can put large, sturdy transplants into your garden by the end of March or early April, and be eating them when others are just seeing them come up! However, remembering that photosynthesis, using light, heat and moisture causes plant growth, you must follow a few key natural principles very carefully, or you will be disappointed. Get your Garden Cooking with Friable Soil Oh sure, fried green tomatoes are ok; but I'll take an extra helping of friable soil any day! This is the desire of any gardener who attempts to sink a shovel into the clay found in our area. Clay just does not make a great sandwich.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |