| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| KYgurlsrbest |
Posted - May 23 2007 : 1:14:56 PM
My husband and I were so inspired by the initial issue of Hobby Farms Home and their great article about making use of rainwater. Having them would help us harness the water, plus lessen the amount of water flowing down around our foundation. He just called me and said that he spoke to the owner of a local vineyard, Burnett Creek Winery, (which is SOOO good by the way!) and he's willing to deliver 5 barrels to our house for $100.00. Hubby wants to put one on each corner of our house, where each gutter comes down, and then do some kindof weird hydraulic thing in the naturalized lower portion of our yard, that, frankly, no matter how many times he's explained it to me, I drift off into a state of duh 
I feel like, with the raised bed this year, our healthy flower gardens, and now this possibility, like we're really DOIN' something!
"In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt." Margaret Atwood
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| 24 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| KYgurlsrbest |
Posted - May 29 2007 : 07:49:09 AM
That's great Junkie!!! We're seriously lacking rain, so I'm not too anxious yet, and we have to harvest peas this weekend. One thing at a time!
Frannie...I've looked into the bourbon barrels...the only problem is that they blacken most of the insides, and then you have to wait so long to "sweat" them. A friend did that, and he said he got about a 5th of bourbon out of one of them after sweating the barrel--and his whole garden smelled like mash for several months. I do like bourbon, but not in my flowers :)
"In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt." Margaret Atwood
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| junkjunkie |
Posted - May 29 2007 : 07:27:22 AM
Well...I went ahead and ordered a rain barrel and the gutter set-up online. Can't wait to have it installed! |
| Alee |
Posted - May 27 2007 : 11:18:18 AM
It rained last night and it made me think about all those lovely rain barrels out there :) I wish I had them at my place, but at least the spout from the gutters are aimed at my garden!
Alee |
| CabinCreek-Kentucky |
Posted - May 26 2007 : 10:30:29 PM
be sure to check your LOCAL distilleries .. a friend of mine worked for a big 'bourbon' company here in kentucky .. and got the barrels for free. i think she said if you pick them up yourself (and don't WORK for the company) .. they are still only about $7. each. they can't re-use them for the bourbon making .. sooo .. they are happy to get rid of them.
True Friends, Frannie
CABIN CREEK FARM
KENTUCKY
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| CabinCreek-Kentucky |
Posted - May 26 2007 : 10:21:22 PM
i do have rainbarrels here and there .. originally they were to 'catch the flow' so that the ground didn't get soaked where it came off the roof .. but we recently had 'downspouts' installed .. but i still keep them out for 'country looking'!
gotta' admit .. the drinkin' water comes from the kitchen faucett! xo
True Friends, Frannie
CABIN CREEK FARM
KENTUCKY
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| KYgurlsrbest |
Posted - May 26 2007 : 1:41:55 PM
Katmom--that's where most of his wine barrels go to--a landscaper for $35.00. He offered them to my husband for $25.00, and would be glad to deliver. We don't have too many vineyards or wineries in this part (though they are trying), so that may account for the cost difference :)
Next time you're up there, pick up a whole one for yourself, and harness the rainwater!
"In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt." Margaret Atwood
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| katmom |
Posted - May 26 2007 : 09:05:01 AM
Jonni,
I luv the idea of using the rainbarrels for water storage... In the Paso Robles area of California, there are a ton of winery's. I made mention to my DH the last time we were up there that I would luv to get a barrel & cut it in half & use as a planting barrels. They sell them all over the place in Paso Robles for anywheres from $18 -$25 each.
>^..^< Happiness is being a katmom.
www.katmom4.blogspot.com |
| KYgurlsrbest |
Posted - May 26 2007 : 06:49:29 AM
Alee--
Well, the rain barrels will arrive in two weeks, and then, I assume, he will work out his plan. He mentioned (a few days ago) about rivaling the Romans and their aqueduct system! He doesn't dream TOO much, now does he?
I'll take photos if and when we get there
"In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt." Margaret Atwood
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| Alee |
Posted - May 25 2007 : 12:44:41 PM
Jonni-
How soon is your husband going to build this setup that he keeps showing you? It sounds like it should be interesting at least! :)
Alee |
| KYgurlsrbest |
Posted - May 24 2007 : 1:35:27 PM
Well, Kay, you could always talk to my husband about this hydraulic thing he's got planned for the lower yard...it seemed like, from the "drawings" both on the kitchen chalkboard and the back of placemats  that there IS a runoff barrel!
"In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt." Margaret Atwood
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| therusticcottage |
Posted - May 24 2007 : 12:43:00 PM
I saw this article -- it is great. I'd love to make rain barrels to have water for my plants. With all the rain we get in WA I'd have to have overflow barrels!
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http://therusticcottage.blogspot.com/ |
| Alee |
Posted - May 24 2007 : 10:32:32 AM
What a good idea ladies. I'll have to suggest this to my dad for our cabin in Wyoming. We don't always get much rain there, but it would be nice to capture that which we do get. It would cost too much to drill a well out there. We do have plumbing and a septic system to handle waste water if we want to haul it inside for showers and toilet or dish washing.
Alee |
| Mikki |
Posted - May 24 2007 : 10:32:02 AM
We're going to use rainbarrels at our cabin since we have no running water it will be a lifesaver! But it's probably a project for later on. I'm glad so many people are doing this, it saves a ton of water!
~~Blessings, Mikki Jo
www.mikkijo.etsy.com
http://burningmeadowsprings.blogspot.com/
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| KYgurlsrbest |
Posted - May 24 2007 : 07:16:57 AM
Very good advice! 
I think, if I'm not mistaken, that the barrels we're getting from the vineyard have a wooden lid, and that hubby has it in mind to drill a hole with a sinker, and cut the downspouts on our gutters and put it through the hole, and then seal it with caulk...(that's what I believe he said), thereby eliminating issues with mosquitoes and also, now, drowning rats :).
"In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt." Margaret Atwood
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| mikesgirl |
Posted - May 24 2007 : 07:08:14 AM
At our cabin in Montana, rainbarrels are our only source of water until we get a well drilled. We haul drinking and cooking water, but use the water in the rainbarrels for everything else - bathing, washing dishes etc. I do have a caution though - I haven't read the article that you're referring to, maybe it tells you this, but make sure you have a screen or mesh cover on the barrel. We were using nylon net stretched over the top, secured with wire but no more. This is kind of gross, but this is what happened to us. When we close the cabin up for winter every year, we put rat and mouse bait out all over, under the cabin, in the shop, etc. One spring when we came back, one of the rain barrels smelled funny, and we dumped it out. There was a dead rat in the bottom of it - apparently the rat bait makes them super thirsty and they crave water. This one found the rain barrel, climbed in and drowned. It was really disgusting. We had to sterize the barrel before we could use it for anything again and I never could use it for water again. We just use it as a recycle barrel now. |
| KYgurlsrbest |
Posted - May 24 2007 : 07:02:24 AM
I know what you mean about expensive, Anne...when I started researching, I found that it was almost impossible to find anything under $130. Kentucky is famous for it's bourbon barrels, but a) you have to "sweat" them first which takes a while and b)I didn't want to spend that much mullah. That's great that the olive barrel already has a spigot! Forgetting that hubby works in a bar and that there might be SOME perk to that, he said, "duh, I talk to the owner of Burnett Creek Winery weekly, let me see what Chip can do for us..." I thought, "yeah right" but he was very willing, and that's really nice!
JunkJunkie--you can always plant some kind of bush to cover it...I'm sure they're thinking of mosquito's but there are plenty of ways to eliminate that, too. Most of those orgs are so closed minded!
"In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt." Margaret Atwood
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| asnedecor |
Posted - May 24 2007 : 06:52:16 AM
Jonni -
That is great! We are setting up our first rain barrel as well. My dad got a great deal through Coastal Farm and Implement in his little town on a Olive barrel. $49. 50 (he gets a senior discount) It has a little faucet already at the base. I just have to notch the top for the gutter down spout and we are in business. That is my chore for this long weekend coming up. I have been wanting to do this for a few years but have had a hard time finding a barrel that was inexpensive, then Dad came across these and he set one up and it works great for him so I expect it to do the same for me.
Good luck with yours.
Anne in Portland
"Weeds are flowers too, once you get to know them" Eyeore from Winnie the Pooh
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| junkjunkie |
Posted - May 24 2007 : 06:48:20 AM
I love the idea of rain barrels. My townhouse only has a spigot in the front, nothing in the back. I love gardening, and I've been working on my backyard garden since last year and it's evolving. I have to lug at least four full watering cans to water. I've been wanting a rain barrel for the back and ran it by my association last year. It was nixed....*sigh* I may goahead a do it anyway, the water is free and it's not unsightly. I think they look nice and I can tuck it in a corner so it's not so obvious. I see my neighbors do things with their outside properties that go a little over the basic rules, so I think the association is not extremely strict. If worse comes to worse, I can always undo the barrel setup. |
| KYgurlsrbest |
Posted - May 24 2007 : 06:36:42 AM
Tina Michelle, your man sounds just like mine! "The square root of 2,898,655 is...blah"! It is odd that our hubby's were thinking on the same wave length...It's funny, yesterday, when I picked him up from work, I told him how I explained a bit about his plan to the farmgirls, but that when he starts in about his scientific mumbo jumbo I start to glaze over....well, guess what? Boy-o flipped over a paper placemat and immediately started to draw his idea AGAIN! I bout' fell over laughing. I guess he REALLY wants me to get it!
Yes, Talitha, you and your man need to get a place soon! So many neato things to do, aren't there? I really liked the painted rain barrels--too adorable! I think the first year, just getting the system into place will be enough work for us with all the other stuff we're doing. Maybe next year I'll try my artistic skills!
Thanks, too, Mary Beth...I'm feeling pretty good about our little piece of the planet, now if I could just help the area around us!!!
"In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt." Margaret Atwood
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| Buttercup |
Posted - May 24 2007 : 01:38:30 AM
Too funny... I was reading that too and my DH (who now loves my Hobby Farms magazine  ) saw it and thought it was a wonderful idea and said "we have to do that when we get a place" and walked out of the room!! lol he makes me laugh, but I thought it was a wonderful idea and love all the different ways you can decorate them so they fit in with your style or home!! Do let us know and pictures PLEASE!!! 
Hugz!
Talitha
"If we could maintain the wonder of childhood and at the same time grasp the wisdom of age, what wonder,what wisdom,what life would be ours" |
| Marybeth |
Posted - May 23 2007 : 3:59:33 PM
Jonni, yes you are so doin' something. More power to you! Yay! MB
www.strawberryhillsfarm.blogspot.com
www.day4plus.blogspot.com www.holyhouses-day4plus.blogspot.com
"Life may not be the party we hoped for...but while we are here we might as well dance!" |
| Tina Michelle |
Posted - May 23 2007 : 3:21:26 PM
funny you mention this..my husband was just talking to me about how many gallons of water will run off of a 1,000 square foot roof at so many 1/4 inch increments and all that sort of stuff, and how a rain barrel would water quite a bit...and how he's wanting to extend our gutter system on the house for rain barrels with spigots...so..we may wind up with something going on here too with rainbarrels at some point in time.
I don't know when we'll do that..but that's funny that both of our husband's were like thinking the same things.
LOL
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| mom2knk |
Posted - May 23 2007 : 1:47:07 PM
How neat!! |
| willowtreecreek |
Posted - May 23 2007 : 1:21:49 PM
That sounds really cool!
Jewelry, art, baskets, etc.
www.willowartist.etsy.com
www.willowtreecreek.com |
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