Rain Barrels

…Just earlier this week, I returned back from visiting my wife’s native homeland of Australia.

The trip is always a long one, and we decided to travel by train throughout the Aussie bush, as we journeyed to the international airport in the large costal city of Sydney.

I am always a lover of the train system as I travel over seas in different countries, as it allows me the chance to spread out my legs, view the country side of that particular nation and land, and when ever possible, shut my eyes for a few minutes and catch a much needed forty winks.

On this particular train trip, we traveled over some extensive Australian territory. The land is a dry one, with much of the vegetation brown, due to incredible lengths of time without rainfall.

Truly, in our state of Georgia, we really have no idea what a drought is, compared to the tough and hardy Australians and their outback land conditions.

As I gazed out the window, I was pleased to see numerous kangaroos hopping in the distance, or settled under the native Gum Trees. I even managed to see a Koala up close this trip, a previous day, the closest I had on my many travels to the Land Down Under.

With such drought like conditions facing the Australian people, it is common to see large water tanks attached to roof tops, or alongside their homes.

Indeed, many Aussie homes have more than one of them in their yard. These rain water tanks are very large metal tanks, completely open at the top, placed throughout one’s property and land, ready to catch every available rain drop that might fall from the sky.

Farmers in this water hungry world depend upon these rain water tanks considerably. Through my travels around the globe, I have not come across water tanks as large as the ones in my second home.

With our lack of water back here in Georgia, we, too, depend upon rain water. In fact, the creek behind my house is currently dry, with little to no water running through it. Water is precious, yet many Americans are wasteful of it. For gardeners, though, it is more precious than gold.

Before I left to travel overseas, I placed a watering can underneath a rain gutter during a small storm. I was surprised at how quickly it filled up; in no time, it was overflowing with water to use another day. I realized that I had been missing out on a grand way to save water and use it again for my veggies and my flowers.

There are many ways a gardener can save rain water. Hardware and gardening stores sell rain barrels in various shapes and sizes. The internet is full of sites where they can be purchased, as well.

Indeed, rain barrels are more popular than ever in the States, and can be found in just about any large hard ware and garden store.

So, don’t let the next rain fall go by without collecting some of the gift that God gives us, water! Invest a little money in a rain barrel, and your plants and veggies will thank you for years to come. Enjoy!