I’ve been browsing for rainbarrels, thinking of ways we might make it easier to keep all the vegetable and flower beds watered this summer. The barrels themselves seem easy, and reasonably priced, but I’m trying to figure out how to get the water from the barrel to where it needs to be. In the course of my explorations online, I’ve learned about a different approach, called “rain gardens.” This means making a garden where the rainwater already falls, with moisture-loving plants. This page of Rain Garden Tips from Wisconsin explains the benefits.

This doesn’t solve the problem of getting rainwater to the rest of the garden, but it’s a great concept and a place to start.