Rain on the roof top

I love that sound. The pitter patter of storms on the roof (now my air conditioning unit), to me it has always been calming. Even the big storms that we have in Texas, the thunder, the lighting brought a comfort. This comfort came from knowing that the sun will always shine, again, either in the morning or when the clouds break.

But although, this still has meaning to me, now it means crucial water to the garden. I can always tell the difference after the rain has come. The plants are livelier (if that’s possible) and of course greener. And if you are my plants you’ve grown more. It’s a beautiful sight that I love to see.

And although this rain brings comfort and growth, the state as a whole is in a drought and it is expected to continue. Personally, I’ve been thinking of how can I conserve water- not leaving the faucet on while doing dishes, no small loads of laundry, and I may even start collecting my shower water. Do I have any raised eyebrows?

Let me explain. There is nothing wrong with that what before you get in it. It is just going back through the system, your paying for it in some way and you will pay for it again with the next shower. So why not put your water to use and water your garden plot.

This is called greywatering. I first heard about it in the book, “The Urban Homestead,” (a book that I highly recommend to all of you growers and eco-consciene people out there) the book talks about collecting rain water and greywater. Two things that are actually easy to do!

Really all you need is buckets and maybe a plan. But hey you can find all that stuff on the web or in Urban Homestead! Plus, we won’t have to use the hoses.

Link to collecting rainwater: http://www.gdrc.org/uem/water/rainwater/introduction.htm

Link to collecting greywater: http://www.greywaterguerrillas.com/index.html