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Newsflash: Rainwater doesn’t contain chlorine…so why would you give your plants water that does?
Oh I see, you think those plastic 55 gallon drum-like rain barrels are ugly. Hey, I can’t blame you there (even though you can build a rain barrel for a mere $10).
Well even if some of the more aesthetically pleasing ways of building a rain barrel still fail to tickle your fancy, I’m SURE that this one will…
Read on to find out more about it.
This rain barrel is the beautiful "A Drop Of Water" rain barrel from Dutch designer, Bas Van Der Veer.
Our friends at TreeHugger also liked this rain barrel. They said,
"Some rain barrels are utilitarian and others are silly, but if you are going to attach something to the side of your house it might as well be elegant and practical too."
There’s no doubt that gardening is rising in popularity once again, and this compact rain barrel is both practical AND beautiful. Apartment Therapy apparently thinks so too. They said,
"It seems that with people spending time and energy investing in their garden — planting, pruning, beautifying — they don’t really want to junk it up with a clunky plastic barrel."
I couldn’t agree more.
No details on the "A Drop of Water" rain barrel are available yet, but judging by the way the watering can tilts forward, I’d be willing to bet that the rain water fills the can, which then overflows down into the cistern below. If so, that’s an incredible design element right there!
As you can see from the picture above, after your watering can is empty, you can refill it from the nozzle at the bottom of the cistern.
While this rain barrel is already beyond the conceptual stage, it’s still not yet available for purchase (*sobs*).
Can I Still Use Rain Barrels Through the Winter?
With tomorrow being the official first day of fall, that’s a great question.
Most experts say that you DO need to winterize your rain barrels. People Powered Machines gives some great rain barrel winterization instructions:
"As the temperatures up north here drop, it’s time to winterize your rain barrel just like all your other outside watering tools. It’s simple
- Drain all water from the rain barrel and the hoses.
- Move your rain barrel into a garage or storage shed if you have one. If you do not have the storage space, turn the barrel upside down to prevent water from entering. Cover the spigot opening to prevent water from collecting there as well.
- Back at your house, remember to reconnect gutter downspout or add temporary flexible gutter downspout to ensure water is diverted away from your house."
On the other hand, the popular rain barrel retailer, Aaron’s Rain Barrels, says that your rain barrel may even work better in the winter!
How?
"Simply leave the spigot open during the warmer daytime hours, this will flush out your barrel. Winter ice melt is nitrogen rich and excellent for indoor plants, so grab a few gallons in a watering can."
Either way, be sure to leave those spigots open as the winter months approach…otherwise you’ll probably end up with a cracked rain barrel.
I think every little step toward living green is an awesome one… but eco-snobbery sucks! My goal is to help newbies learn the most important steps toward living green — individually and collectively. Personally, I strive to have as little impact as possible on Planet Earth while I'm here.
