Water an Essential Resource - Part II

It has been six weeks since we installed two rain barrels. Since that time we have had plenty of rain to keep our barrels resupplied and we have been faithful to use the collected water on our vegetables and flowers. It takes between one and three minutes to fill our watering cans depending on the amount of water in the barrels. I typically water with one can while allowing the other to fill with water, which helps me use my time efficiently.

We have also added a third barrel to collect overflow when we have a good rain. We accomplished this by cutting a 3/4" hole near the top of an original barrel and inserting a PVC pipe to move the water from barrel A to barrel B.

We filled a 4th stand alone barrel by filling it with water from a barrel just prior to a big rain. Thus, we  currently have four 55 gallon barrels to capture and store over 200 gallons of water when they are full.

I have noted that using a watering can to water the vegetables gives me the ability to focus on specific plants versus using a sprinkler which waters everything but wastes a some water as well.

We'll have to wait and see if the water bill is significantly less this summer compared to last year and of course, this assumes that we'll continue to have some nice summer rains.

Spring has Sprung

The weather has warmed and the plants that surround our property are springing to life once again. Five years ago my wife and I set out to convert our yard, which was comprised almost totally in grass, to something more of an oasis for retreat and enjoyment. First came a small rose garden then A small area was converted to a vegetable garden. Slowly we have converted almost half of our lawn into gardens. We enjoy shade from our pear trees and fresh herbs from our herb garden. Last year we had a bumper crop of basil and plenty of rosemary to use over the winter. Our freezer still contains the bounty from a bumper crop of bell and banana peppers.

We recycled Easter Lilies from church a couple of years ago and they continue to multiply and bloom, alas never at Easter. Theresa, our next door neighbor, has shared from her Iris bounty and we have passed them along to others as well. We have a lovely Chinese rose given by friends in Arkansas and we have shipped cuttings of it across the street and across town.

This weekend we (my lovely wife) mowed the grass for the first time and this week I finished painting the porch that now provides shade and a cool refuge from the summer heat.

Yesterday we enjoyed putting out our hummingbird feeder and were delighted to find a tiny "scout" hummingbird enjoying some sweet nectar! Soon the garden will be in full bloom with Tiger and Day Lilies, hydrangeas, roses and so many other flowers that make our back yard a place where we can enjoy God's beauty and share it with others.