Making the Most of a Rainy Day

    Get a rain barrel:

    *Install the rain barrel at least six feet from your house. Locating it near an area, you'll be watering the most makes for convenient use later.

    *Ensure that your rain barrel has an overflow at least as large as your inflow- for example, if you have rigged it so that water is collected directly from your eaves' trough downspout, your overflow value should be as large as your downspout as well. This will allow your rain barrel to get rid of excess water as fast as it collects it, which might be necessary if you live in a city with crazy, unpredictable weather like my brother does.

    *If you are using the rain barrel to water your garden, consider using a soaker hose. You can attach the hose to the rain barrel and then run it through your garden so that it covers the area you'd like. Now, every time you see a rain cloud, you'll get really excited.