Recently one of our YMCA camps offered a workshop to make a rain barrel. I couldn't make it but they were kind enough to make it for me and send it inter-office mail! Imagine the couriers surprise when he had to pick up this baby! Kurt, of course, thought I had lost my marbles but he has since embraced the idea. He came up with the solution to place the barrel on a galvanized tub. The height creates a little bit of water pressure but not enough to run a hose. The first night we had it installed it rained and filled it up. We didn't have the overflow hose attached properly so it overflowed from the top...no big deal but it is now fixed. Yesterday I attached a soaker hose which now waters the coneflowers in the garden just to the right of the pics. The water pressure isn't great but I'm hoping it's adequate enough to keep the soaker hose going. I've found some pics on line of painted barrels...hope to paint it to look like a wine/whisky barrel...I find the white plastic a little unsightly!
