It's Monday! Time for our weekly installment of Radical Homemaking. Interested in learning more about what that means? Check out THIS post and THIS post.
We've had a few rainy weeks here in Dallas. Texas has been in a drought cycle and it's nice that Mother Nature is living up to that old adage, "April Showers". My garden is particularly happy. My only wish is that I had more rain barrels. I only have two 60-gallon containers, but I could have filled them 20 times over. I'd really like to have at least a 500-gallon capacity, if not more. My plan is to keep adding barrels as I am able.
When I watch the rain come down in sheets, shedding off rooftops and filling the gutters with river-like force, it makes me wonder why everyone with a roof isn't collecting rain water. Its essential to living on earth and it's free for the taking. Every home in Texas (and California for that matter) should have a 1,000 gallon cistern on the back end of their home to collect water run off. It seems like a really simple and viable step towards water conservation.
What do you think about rain water collection?
Why don't more households do it?
Above: our back yard homestead.
Below: my two rain barrels.
Below: my two rain barrels.
7 comments:
How do you keep mosquitoes at bay, knowing how they love standing water?
I( have mosquito donuts floating on the tops of the water to destroy larve and also I have chickens that eat them! And... it's Texas, so some mosquitoes are expected.
I can't believe this beautiful backyard sits in an urban type setting in Dallas, TX. Bravo to you Sarah, and Bravo to you for collecting the rain water! I guess people are intimidated or uneducated on how it works. That would be me--wink!
In Colorado, grey water collection and rain water collection is not technically legal for homeowners. That water belongs to the water company. Water law is so complicated that understanding the "why" of some laws is very difficult.
Love your garden! We live in Fort Worth and are enjoying this rain as well. We are on the hunt to purchase a rain barrel. Do you mind me asking where you got yours and how you like them?
Colleen, our rain barrels are wonderful! I got them from Whole Foods - but I've seen them for less at TruValue Hardware stores, like Gecko Hardware in Dallas.
I could only hope and wish for this kinda rain. We desperately need the rain here in California
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