Go Green on a Budget

I have a spigot in the middle of my backyard for gardening convenience. But, the water that comes from it is from the city system and contains chlorine and other chemicals. I filter the water that I drink and that I give my dogs, why not what I give my plants.

So I have recently put a barrel outside my house to catch rain water for my plants. Water is a resource that we tend to think of as renewable, but more and more it is becoming polluted. If not by bacteria, by chemicals that we use to kill bacteria. My neighbors didn’t go on city water when it became available. They use a well, and they have rain barrels. I don’t know what took me so long, but next years garden will get pure rain water.

Depending on where you live and what type of barrel you use you may have to put it away in the winter to prevent it from cracking. For me I am just starting with a plastic garbage can (in back of the house), so I will leave it out. A little melted snow will probably do my house plants some good.