Rainwater Harvesting Systems And Rain Gardens Benefit Our Earth!
A rainwater harvesting system is a simple, relatively inexpensive and smart way to protect our rivers and streams. Couple
it with a rain garden and you add further benefits and beauty as well. How does a rainwater harvesting system help our
earth and what is a rain garden anyway?
In times past, it was not uncommon for people to collect rainwater for later use. That was especially true when they couldn't just turn on a faucet and water magically came out. It took allot more work and effort to get water, digging wells and hauling water or pumping water by had pumps. Allot more work. And when there was a dry spell...well, you can imagine the hardship that must have been. Having harvested rainwater was smart and was truly a blessing in times like that.
But, we've progressed past those days and life has gotten easier. But easier for us is not always better for the earth. Many people these days don't ever think about all that rainwater as it falls from heaven, hits pitter patter on the roof and runs off, out the downspout, down the oily road, across the fields sprayed with chemicals and into our rivers and streams. And when the summer heat and dry spells come, we just turn on the spigot and out comes water for those lovely flowers and vegetables we worked so hard to get to grow.
There is a better way! Rainwater harvesting systems are simple and effective. And they can be quite attractive, too. By connecting your downspout to a rain barrel, you can harvest some of that water and that keeps it from becoming polluted runoff. But, that's not the only benefit. That water is free! And it's now readily available for you to use however you wish. Wash your car or your dog, water your garden, fill your pond. Get the idea? And remember, rainwater doesn't have anything but rainwater in it. No chlorine or anything. That's better for the plants and for us.
OK, so what's this rain garden business? A rain garden is a shallow, depressed garden that is designed and amended to absorb water to allow it to slowly leach back into the earth and be filtered before it goes back to the underground water table. It helps with erosion, too. Imagine such a garden placed in your yard in an area that always gets the runoff from your downspout. Or if you live near a road where water runs off into your yard, by placing a rain garden is such a place, you help catch and filter that water keeping it out of our storm water systems. You could even direct your rainwater harvesting system's overflow to your rain garden.
But that's not all a rain garden does for our earth. It a beautiful addition to our landscape and provides a low maintenance habitat for animals, birds, butterflies and native plants. Sounds like a win/win situation to me!
Nashville Tennessee is working with 50 schools and 50 home owners to install rain gardens to improve water quality in that area. http://www.raingardensfornashville.com/
Can you imagine what a benefit it would be for our beautiful earth if more of us would do the same!
it with a rain garden and you add further benefits and beauty as well. How does a rainwater harvesting system help our
earth and what is a rain garden anyway?
In times past, it was not uncommon for people to collect rainwater for later use. That was especially true when they couldn't just turn on a faucet and water magically came out. It took allot more work and effort to get water, digging wells and hauling water or pumping water by had pumps. Allot more work. And when there was a dry spell...well, you can imagine the hardship that must have been. Having harvested rainwater was smart and was truly a blessing in times like that.
But, we've progressed past those days and life has gotten easier. But easier for us is not always better for the earth. Many people these days don't ever think about all that rainwater as it falls from heaven, hits pitter patter on the roof and runs off, out the downspout, down the oily road, across the fields sprayed with chemicals and into our rivers and streams. And when the summer heat and dry spells come, we just turn on the spigot and out comes water for those lovely flowers and vegetables we worked so hard to get to grow.
There is a better way! Rainwater harvesting systems are simple and effective. And they can be quite attractive, too. By connecting your downspout to a rain barrel, you can harvest some of that water and that keeps it from becoming polluted runoff. But, that's not the only benefit. That water is free! And it's now readily available for you to use however you wish. Wash your car or your dog, water your garden, fill your pond. Get the idea? And remember, rainwater doesn't have anything but rainwater in it. No chlorine or anything. That's better for the plants and for us.
OK, so what's this rain garden business? A rain garden is a shallow, depressed garden that is designed and amended to absorb water to allow it to slowly leach back into the earth and be filtered before it goes back to the underground water table. It helps with erosion, too. Imagine such a garden placed in your yard in an area that always gets the runoff from your downspout. Or if you live near a road where water runs off into your yard, by placing a rain garden is such a place, you help catch and filter that water keeping it out of our storm water systems. You could even direct your rainwater harvesting system's overflow to your rain garden.
But that's not all a rain garden does for our earth. It a beautiful addition to our landscape and provides a low maintenance habitat for animals, birds, butterflies and native plants. Sounds like a win/win situation to me!
Nashville Tennessee is working with 50 schools and 50 home owners to install rain gardens to improve water quality in that area. http://www.raingardensfornashville.com/
Can you imagine what a benefit it would be for our beautiful earth if more of us would do the same!
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