Rain barrels can refill inside minutes. By connecting your rain barrels to a rain backyard, you possibly can take advantage of harvesting rainwater for irrigation.
This web page might include affiliate hyperlinks. Please learn my disclosure for more information.
Water is highly effective: One downspout can fill a 55-gallon rain barrel in lower than 5 minutes!
My 1,200-square-foot roof, for instance, can gather a median of 30,525 gallons of rain per yr. It’s straightforward to see {that a} 55-gallon rain barrel doesn’t catch a variety of water as compared.
Directing the rain barrel overflow into the panorama, nevertheless, is one method to make rain barrels extra eco-friendly and helpful.
It is very important take into consideration what to do with the surplus water, as a result of an overflowing rain barrel can flood a basement, injury a basis, or worse, do the identical to an unsuspecting neighbor downhill.
One of many supposed advantages of rain barrels is their means to maintain water out of the sewer system throughout a rain occasion. That’s as a result of stormwater runoff causes soil erosion, can carry air pollution, and may overwhelm municipal stormwater methods, generally inflicting uncooked sewage to enter native waterways.
We are able to now see that rain barrels on their very own don’t preserve a lot water out of the sewer system, however catching water within the panorama will cut back the quantity of water that’s despatched to the municipal stormwater system.
Retaining water on website will profit the native ecosystem by:
That’s the reason in our entrance yard backyard we determined to make use of a swale to seize rainwater from the roof within the panorama. In our yard, we directed rain barrel overflow right into a rain backyard.
A rain backyard is a shallow melancholy within the floor, normally bowl- or kidney-shaped, with berms on the downhill sides, designed to seize rainwater. The melancholy is planted with deep-rooted, drought-tolerant native perennials.
In my article How one can Construct a Rain Backyard you’ll learn to find the correct website, calculate the scale, and get step-by-step directions.
*Verify native rules for legality. In my metropolis, rain barrel overflow should legally redirect again to the sewer system, whereas in my county it’s authorized to ship overflow to a rain backyard.
Would you wish to yield scrumptious harvests whereas partnering with nature? Take a look at my mini information, The Permaculture Inspired Vegetable Garden.
In 2008, we put in a rain barrel-to-rain backyard system in our yard.
That is what our yard regarded like earlier than the work began:
The yard, pre-rain backyard in 2008
This slender strip, simply 4-feet broad between the fence and the home, was not serving any function. Solar-baked clay soil hosted plenty of random and ineffective plantings from the earlier homeowners.
What struck our consideration, although, was how this lengthy, slender space already had a considerably elongated bowl form. We determined this unused sliver in our tiny yard was excellent for a rain backyard.
We employed a neighborhood rain barrel man to supply the used, food-grade barrels and the suitable crops, and to do the set up. Again then, we weren’t assured that we’d do it proper, and assist from an expert on a rain backyard that was so near our home appeared just like the good factor to do.
That is what the rain backyard regarded like after the set up:
2008 Rain Backyard
We used flat rocks to hold the water from the rain barrels to the rain backyard with a purpose to forestall erosion. The dogwood (Cornus sericea) was a terrific selection as a result of it liked the additional water. The plantings to the fitting (together with rhubarb and yarrow) assisted throughout heavy rains, however had been in any other case chosen for his or her drought-tolerance.
The “waterfall” was a rock characteristic we added as an additional precaution for these instances when the rain backyard grew to become absolutely saturated. It’s stunning when the waterfall is flowing with water throughout a heavy rain and watering the decrease plantings that encompass the patio.
Right here is how the rain barrels join to 1 one other and the rain backyard:
Buried pipes ship rain barrel overflow into the rain backyard
Burying the overflow pipes prevented the openings from attracting mosquitoes.
Rain Backyard view from patio
By 2013, the system was nonetheless working fantastically, however the pink twig dogwood had grown so giant that it fully reduce off the pathway that led from the facet yard to the yard. So we determined to present the rain backyard a makeover with two targets: Keep its water-absorbing capability and make it a walkable through-way.
Would you wish to be taught extra about good water administration to scale back upkeep and improve yield?
You’ll discover a great deal of data identical to this in my award-winning e book, The Suburban Micro-Farm.
Our imaginative and prescient was to make a protracted, slender walkable creek mattress that will take in the overflow and direct extra water to gardens on the decrease patio degree.
We eliminated the red-twig dogwood shrub and ready to lay a extra intentional stone walkway.
We cleared the four-foot width of pathway/rain backyard. We now had a clear slate.
The rain barrel space was re-leveled and a brand new overflow pipe was laid.
Lesson realized: Although the top piece on the overflow pipe works positive, we’d use an even bigger finish piece if we had been to do it another time.
These new barrels had been positioned on a brand new leveled platform and linked to 1 one other.
We had been excited by these new rain barrels as a result of they every maintain 75 gallons, so for a similar footprint as our previous 55-gallon barrels, we might maintain 40 extra gallons.
Notice: This upcycled rain barrel kit can also be a superb selection.
Weedblocker was laid down within the “creek mattress” space, and we started to put the rocks. It was like a puzzle to get them to suit collectively properly!
Along with a 3-foot broad walkable creekbed, we put in a one-foot broad, 14-foot lengthy trellis and backyard mattress alongside the fence line on the left.
The drought-tolerant plantings to the fitting of the walkway stayed the identical, as did the waterfall overflow to the decrease degree across the patio.
Weedblocker is laid within the “creek mattress” space, and rocks are located for walkability.
Walkable creekbed that connects the facet yard to the the yard
New trellis mattress on left. Drought-tolerant plantings to the fitting of the walkway stayed the identical, as did the waterfall overflow to the decrease degree across the patio.
A downspout diverter can management rain barrel overflow by permitting you to manually redirect the movement of water when the barrel(s) refill. The diverter we bought can redirect the overflow again to the sewer or to wherever else you need.
This was an essential improve to our system, as a result of our rain barrels can’t gather water within the winter. That’s as a result of the plastic might crack when the water freezes. Moreover, our rain backyard is close to our basement, so if the bottom is frozen and may’t take in water, it might pose a flooding danger. Due to these winter issues, we needed the choice to redirect the overflow again into the sewer through the winter.
So we don’t use the diverter for particular person rains, fairly, we use it seasonally. We additionally put in a downspout filter, which sheds particles and prevents the rain barrel shops from clogging.
We discovered our diverter and downspout filter here.
Through the heat months, our rain barrel overflow is directed into the creek bed-rain backyard.
the diverter and leaf filter
The brand new walkable creekbed rain backyard
Here’s a video of the system working:
With this new design, we retained the identical quantity of rainwater within the panorama as the unique design, however we gained 14-linear ft of vertical rising house on the fence, and we gained walkable entry between the facet yard and the yard.
Notice: Regardless that we now have all openings into and out of the rain barrels coated with mosquito screens, we nonetheless recurrently add mosquito dunks to our rain barrels simply to make certain we aren’t breeding them. Mosquito Dunks are an natural, non-toxic answer. We wouldn’t need to be unhealthy neighbors!
A rain backyard is an effective way to make your rain barrels extra helpful and eco-friendly. Irrigate your gardens extra effectively whereas recharging groundwater and enhancing biodiversity.
Get all the small print for constructing a rain backyard right here.
Sources:
I’m curious to know: Do you’ve got a rain backyard? The place does your rain barrel overflow go?
This web page might include affiliate hyperlinks. Please learn my disclosure for more information.
Why Fear about Rain Barrel Overflow?
Water is highly effective: One downspout can fill a 55-gallon rain barrel in lower than 5 minutes!
My 1,200-square-foot roof, for instance, can gather a median of 30,525 gallons of rain per yr. It’s straightforward to see {that a} 55-gallon rain barrel doesn’t catch a variety of water as compared.
Directing the rain barrel overflow into the panorama, nevertheless, is one method to make rain barrels extra eco-friendly and helpful.
It is very important take into consideration what to do with the surplus water, as a result of an overflowing rain barrel can flood a basement, injury a basis, or worse, do the identical to an unsuspecting neighbor downhill.
Directing Rain Barrel Overflow into the Panorama
One of many supposed advantages of rain barrels is their means to maintain water out of the sewer system throughout a rain occasion. That’s as a result of stormwater runoff causes soil erosion, can carry air pollution, and may overwhelm municipal stormwater methods, generally inflicting uncooked sewage to enter native waterways.
We are able to now see that rain barrels on their very own don’t preserve a lot water out of the sewer system, however catching water within the panorama will cut back the quantity of water that’s despatched to the municipal stormwater system.
Retaining water on website will profit the native ecosystem by:
- Recharging groundwater (as an alternative of it being whisked away)
- Filtering air pollution
- Lowering floor runoff and soil erosion
- Irrigating downhill gardens
- Creating habitat and microclimates
That’s the reason in our entrance yard backyard we determined to make use of a swale to seize rainwater from the roof within the panorama. In our yard, we directed rain barrel overflow right into a rain backyard.
What’s a Rain Backyard?
A rain backyard is a shallow melancholy within the floor, normally bowl- or kidney-shaped, with berms on the downhill sides, designed to seize rainwater. The melancholy is planted with deep-rooted, drought-tolerant native perennials.
In my article How one can Construct a Rain Backyard you’ll learn to find the correct website, calculate the scale, and get step-by-step directions.
*Verify native rules for legality. In my metropolis, rain barrel overflow should legally redirect again to the sewer system, whereas in my county it’s authorized to ship overflow to a rain backyard.
Would you wish to yield scrumptious harvests whereas partnering with nature? Take a look at my mini information, The Permaculture Inspired Vegetable Garden.
Our Yard Rain Barrel-to-Rain Backyard System, 1.0
In 2008, we put in a rain barrel-to-rain backyard system in our yard.
That is what our yard regarded like earlier than the work began:
The yard, pre-rain backyard in 2008
This slender strip, simply 4-feet broad between the fence and the home, was not serving any function. Solar-baked clay soil hosted plenty of random and ineffective plantings from the earlier homeowners.
What struck our consideration, although, was how this lengthy, slender space already had a considerably elongated bowl form. We determined this unused sliver in our tiny yard was excellent for a rain backyard.
We employed a neighborhood rain barrel man to supply the used, food-grade barrels and the suitable crops, and to do the set up. Again then, we weren’t assured that we’d do it proper, and assist from an expert on a rain backyard that was so near our home appeared just like the good factor to do.
That is what the rain backyard regarded like after the set up:
2008 Rain Backyard
We used flat rocks to hold the water from the rain barrels to the rain backyard with a purpose to forestall erosion. The dogwood (Cornus sericea) was a terrific selection as a result of it liked the additional water. The plantings to the fitting (together with rhubarb and yarrow) assisted throughout heavy rains, however had been in any other case chosen for his or her drought-tolerance.
The “waterfall” was a rock characteristic we added as an additional precaution for these instances when the rain backyard grew to become absolutely saturated. It’s stunning when the waterfall is flowing with water throughout a heavy rain and watering the decrease plantings that encompass the patio.
Right here is how the rain barrels join to 1 one other and the rain backyard:
Buried pipes ship rain barrel overflow into the rain backyard
Burying the overflow pipes prevented the openings from attracting mosquitoes.
Rain Backyard view from patio
By 2013, the system was nonetheless working fantastically, however the pink twig dogwood had grown so giant that it fully reduce off the pathway that led from the facet yard to the yard. So we determined to present the rain backyard a makeover with two targets: Keep its water-absorbing capability and make it a walkable through-way.
Would you wish to be taught extra about good water administration to scale back upkeep and improve yield?
You’ll discover a great deal of data identical to this in my award-winning e book, The Suburban Micro-Farm.
Our Rain Barrel-to-Rain Backyard System, 2.0
Our imaginative and prescient was to make a protracted, slender walkable creek mattress that will take in the overflow and direct extra water to gardens on the decrease patio degree.
We eliminated the red-twig dogwood shrub and ready to lay a extra intentional stone walkway.
We cleared the four-foot width of pathway/rain backyard. We now had a clear slate.
The rain barrel space was re-leveled and a brand new overflow pipe was laid.
Lesson realized: Although the top piece on the overflow pipe works positive, we’d use an even bigger finish piece if we had been to do it another time.
These new barrels had been positioned on a brand new leveled platform and linked to 1 one other.
We had been excited by these new rain barrels as a result of they every maintain 75 gallons, so for a similar footprint as our previous 55-gallon barrels, we might maintain 40 extra gallons.
Notice: This upcycled rain barrel kit can also be a superb selection.
Weedblocker was laid down within the “creek mattress” space, and we started to put the rocks. It was like a puzzle to get them to suit collectively properly!
Along with a 3-foot broad walkable creekbed, we put in a one-foot broad, 14-foot lengthy trellis and backyard mattress alongside the fence line on the left.
The drought-tolerant plantings to the fitting of the walkway stayed the identical, as did the waterfall overflow to the decrease degree across the patio.
Weedblocker is laid within the “creek mattress” space, and rocks are located for walkability.
Walkable creekbed that connects the facet yard to the the yard
New trellis mattress on left. Drought-tolerant plantings to the fitting of the walkway stayed the identical, as did the waterfall overflow to the decrease degree across the patio.
The Downspout Diverter
A downspout diverter can management rain barrel overflow by permitting you to manually redirect the movement of water when the barrel(s) refill. The diverter we bought can redirect the overflow again to the sewer or to wherever else you need.
This was an essential improve to our system, as a result of our rain barrels can’t gather water within the winter. That’s as a result of the plastic might crack when the water freezes. Moreover, our rain backyard is close to our basement, so if the bottom is frozen and may’t take in water, it might pose a flooding danger. Due to these winter issues, we needed the choice to redirect the overflow again into the sewer through the winter.
So we don’t use the diverter for particular person rains, fairly, we use it seasonally. We additionally put in a downspout filter, which sheds particles and prevents the rain barrel shops from clogging.
We discovered our diverter and downspout filter here.
Through the heat months, our rain barrel overflow is directed into the creek bed-rain backyard.
the diverter and leaf filter
The brand new walkable creekbed rain backyard
Here’s a video of the system working:
With this new design, we retained the identical quantity of rainwater within the panorama as the unique design, however we gained 14-linear ft of vertical rising house on the fence, and we gained walkable entry between the facet yard and the yard.
Notice: Regardless that we now have all openings into and out of the rain barrels coated with mosquito screens, we nonetheless recurrently add mosquito dunks to our rain barrels simply to make certain we aren’t breeding them. Mosquito Dunks are an natural, non-toxic answer. We wouldn’t need to be unhealthy neighbors!
A rain backyard is an effective way to make your rain barrels extra helpful and eco-friendly. Irrigate your gardens extra effectively whereas recharging groundwater and enhancing biodiversity.
Get all the small print for constructing a rain backyard right here.
Sources:
I’m curious to know: Do you’ve got a rain backyard? The place does your rain barrel overflow go?