“April Showers bring May Flowers…” is the old adage that describes the spring months across many parts of the country where rain is plentiful. During April and May, it is hard to imagine not being able to provide life giving water to your vegetable garden. When the tomato and bean plants need a sprinkle, turning on the hose is easily done and never given a second thought.

But, once the dog days of summer hit, and the weekly rain showers do not make their way to your new crops, they might begin to look a little worn as they begin to dry out and become parched in the hot sun. Water becomes more important and your responsibility to keep them from dying is more apparent.

Large rain buckets or rain-barrels are easily setup to collect life giving rain water during those times when storms pass through. Harvesting rain is something that every person should be thinking of as they begin their quest to add gardens to their backyards.

Usually the basic question on many minds is “How do I get started and how hard is it to do?” Having a strategy and plan are crucial in creating a sustainable collection, storage and distribution system for your home. These systems can be very elaborate and expensive, but in most cases, keeping it simple is preferable as funds are usually limited.

The 3 basic areas of a rain harvesting system are: Collection, Storage and Distribution. Rain buckets are the large containers that can be designed specifically for the purpose of collecting the rain and can be as simple as vinyl or plastic trash cans. When located near downspouts, these rain buckets can collect water that land on the roof. Since the roof has the largest surface area, it is common practice to place your rain bucket near the house or shed where the downspouts channel the water from the house.

Once you know where you want to locate the rain bucket, the next question often asked is “How do I get the rain into the bucket?” Typically, this is done by cutting off part of the down spout so that the end sits a bit higher than the bucket itself. Cut a hole in the lid and cover the opening with a very thin wire mesh. This mesh will allow the rainwater to enter, but prevent insects such as mosquitoes from nesting in the water.

Cut an 8-10 inch piece of the 1″ PVC pipe. Apply PVC Cement liberally around one end and the female to male hose bib adapter. Twist slightly and let set for about 10 minutes. While this is setting, take your electric drill with a 1″ spade bit and drill a hole about 6 inches from the bottom of the bucket. Insert the 1″ by 8″ PVC pipe with a hose thread exposed. Seal the hole with PVC cement and let set for about 10 minutes to prevent leakage. Once set, you’ll be able to hook up a standard garden hose to the exposed PVC Pipe. The pressure from the amount of water contained inside the rain bucket will allow you to water your plants without much difficulty.

In summary, a large Rain Bucket is an easy way to begin conserving water to provide your garden with essential life giving fluid whenever needed. Since the water had been collected and stored from the previous rainstorms, you will not have to worry about the bill.

A gallon storage container can be used to store just about anything. From a containment drum for capturing rain from your rooftop, to storing food. Multi-gallon containers are versatile for any job.

Author: Robert Owens
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

There are a variety of garden hose hanger devices that can provide your water hose with storage so that it’s just not lying around on the ground waiting to trip somebody up. The methods of storage can range from a nail on the side of a wall or fence to a decorative metal reel. Here’s three suggestions I can provide from my 20 years of landscaping and gardening.

1. The first consideration that you need to give is “how much are you willing to spend?” When researching for this article, I conducted a search on Google using that term in quotes and received 92,200 matches. That means – that exact question was asked, exactly like I put it, that many times; not necessarily for garden hose hangers… but for the purchase of any product. So your first determination for yourself needs to be – how much are you willing to spend to get rid of an eyesore and safety hazard? Garden hose hangers which typically attach to a wall, are the least expensive storage device, but they have a wide range of prices. They can range from $4 for a Do It Best Imports 58003 Poly Hose Hanger, to $84 for a Perrault Round Hose Hanger-French Bronze.
2. Your second question should be where are you looking to store your hose – in a shed or garage, outside on the side of your house, or are you just trying to complement your garden decor and get that hose up off the ground? The cheapest product works, and would be fine inside of a shed for storage of a garden hose on a wall, but I wouldn’t recommend it for any hose longer than 50 feet or greater then 15lbs. It will serve a utility use perfectly… but it will look less then desirable outside in a garden, or attached to the side of your house. If you wish to store your water hose near your garden and it’s placement will be visible, then I suggest a more decorative approach to hanging your garden hose.
3. A third question, because you are hanging a hose, is what type of wall are you planning on hanging the hose from? Is your house made of wood, plaster, brick, etc.? If your house is made from wood, then you could choose any garden hose hanger and install with ease. If your house though, is made of brick, plaster, or some other sort of material where drilling is needed, then you may instead wish to purchase a decorative garden hose pot, which rests on the ground, or a freestanding decorative water hose hanger, which requires no hanging.

Whichever you choose, I provide plenty of advice and suggestions on this blog to help you make your choice, along with reviews of many garden hose storage devices, and I provide an easy method for you to purchase those products directly from some of the most reputable retailers online.

We all know that a garden hose hanger just looks nice, right?  Well, it doesn’t just look nice.  It’s actually very necessary and functional.  It’s like a functional piece of furniture.  Why not get a decorative hose hanger if you’re going to get one, right?  Money is tight all around. Now it is time for you to buy some garden tools. Even though you have to spend the money, you would also like to look after your expensive garden implements and store them correctly. Read the rest of this entry

We all know a garden hose hanger is absolutely necessary if you want to keep your outside yard area neat and tidy.  What about storing all of your gardening tools and things in a shed?  Do you know your shed options?  Do you know how to organize your shed.  This article will help you examine all of these things just a bit closer.  Read the rest of this entry

Imagine for a moment, you found the key secrets that provide all the garden storage solutions that enable you to organize all your garden tools and supplies and even your garden hose hanger. How would that make you feel, pretty darn good, right? Continue reading this article to discover the key secrets, how shed designs and woodworking plans provide the little known tricks to end the clutter and organize your gardening stuff. Read the rest of this entry