John Denver sang, “Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy.”
Well, being a native Floridian and having soaked up enough sun to last two lifetimes, frankly, rain makes me happy.
My rain barrels are running over today, and if you don’t have containers, buckets, cans, whatever sitting outside to catch the rain, you’re missing out.
When we get regular rain, I only rarely have to turn on the hose to water the plants in my greenhouse.
Rain barrels are not cheap in stores like Lowe’s and Home Depot, but just about anything can be used as a rain barrel. Mine is a trash can with a hole in the top covered by a screen to keep leaves and junk out.
If you’ve never experimented with rain barrels, there’s a class coming up on from 10 a.m. to noon on March 24 at McKee Gardens in Vero about this very topic. It’s free for members of the garden and included in the price of admission for non-members.
Here’s a blurb off the McKee facebook page:
“Learn to reduce irrigation costs and soil erosion by installing a rain barrel or rain garden this summer. In addition to conserving water, rain barrels and gardens improve the quality of local waterways by slowing the flow of stormwater that runs off pavement and yards when it rains, collecting pesticides, fertilizer, auto emissions and pet waste with it. Participants will learn about the cost-saving and environmental benefits of rain barrels and rain gardens, as well as tips on selecting, building and installing these water features at home. The class will conclude with a short tour of native plants at McKee that make excellent additions to rain gardens and healthy Florida landscapes. Pre-registration required; call 772.794.0601.