Now that we're transitioning from snowy conditons to rain season, why not find a productive use for all of that rainwater? You can give your hose a break and collect rainwater to use in your yard to conserve water and keep your plants hydrated using natural resources. Read on for a how-to guide for collecting rainwater.

Intro Green Rainwater
The Green Rainwater system is a simple but beautiful way to collect rainwater for use in your yard so that it need not go to waste. The best part: you can create it yourself. Water is one of, if not the most, precious of our natural resources, which is why I'm always looking for ways to conserve it, both in the houses I design and in my own home and garden.

That's why I love water catchment systems so much: they make it easy to collect rainwater and put it to good use in your yard where you don't actually need to use fresh water. While most houses don't have a catchment system built-in, almost all have downspouts that drain rainwater from the roof. So I have come up with a way for anyone who wants one to create their own water catchment system. It's simple, it's beautiful, and it can cut down on your utility bills, too! I call it a Green Rainwater system because using what might otherwise be wasted rainwater in place of fresh, potable water is a very eco-friendly solution and something we can all do to make less of an impact on our environment.

Step 1 Collect Materials

1. Barrels & Fittings: 'The barrels can be purchased from www.Aridsolutionsinc.com. You will need to get at least two so you can stack them to create more storage and enough space for vines to grow up into. They will come with all the fittings you'll need. If you happen to buy barrels from elsewhere that don't come with fittings then you can pick them up while you're at the hardware store.

2. Wire Mesh: If you have leftover welded wire from a previous project then this is a great reuse for it. If not, then just stop into your local hardware store or go to an online to buy some. Two barrels stacked with brick or cinder blocks underneath will be around 3.5 feet tall so try to purchase wire a bit taller than that. Be sure the openings are large enough to allow vines to grow trough. You'll also need cinder blocks or brinks, a downspout elbow joint, a short length of hose, and a metal saw if you don't have one already.

3. Plants: Visit your local nursery to get the viney plants for your Green Rainwater system as well as some nice plants for the top. Be sure to consult with the nursery attendants who can tell you which plants will do best in your climate, climb the wire well, and, hopefully, require the least water! You'll probably want 6 to 8 plants to go around your barrels.

You can see the remaining steps and more photos by hitting the jump.

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