Unlike many areas of the United States, New England rarely goes through extend droughts and as many New England residents can attest we often get more rain then we need. March 2010 dumped record amounts of wet all over the region. New Hampshire’s Southeast coastal towns got more rain then at anytime since records have been kept, and Manchester’s neighbor Concord saw its fifth rainiest March on record. If all this rain had been snow Portsmouth and Rochester would in all probability still be shoveling snow.

Many residents in New England are reacquainting themselves with the old practice of capturing the rain in large barrels to use for watering their vegetable and fruit gardens. Water cost money but putting in a little effort you can capture it for free. Over at the DIY Life site they have instructions for building your own rain barrel. You can also buy rain barrels and rain collection systems that will integrate quite nicely into your landscaping plans, why there are even rain barrels that look like big rocks. Do a search online for ideas or you can check out Rain Tank Depot for their products or just for more ideas.

All this water does not mean we should keep our sprinklers on 24 hours a day. There is a movement in many of the dry states called Xeriscaping which is low water use landscaping. Xeriscaping utilizes less grass and shrubs replacing them with more rocks, sand and ornaments. If you want to know more about this water saving way of landscaping check out our article on Xeriscaping here. It is not just about saving water but time and money as well. The less area you cover with grass the easier it will be to mow and the more time you will have to lay out in the hammock.

You might find adding a Rain Gauge to your landscaping will add an interesting conversation piece to your backyard along with a record keeping activity the whole family can involve themselves in. There are rain gauges that look like birdbaths and some can be confused with small fountains.  A well placed rain gauge made of cooper or granite can add a touch of beauty and that final touch to your landscaping masterpiece.

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Tagged as: conservation, rain, xeriscape