Rainwater Harvesting

A big part of making sure your yard thrives on mother natures natural water source, it is important to not only catch rain water for future use, but to design your entire yard and landscapes around the idea of water conservation.  It really is a great thing when you are able to not only conserve water but make your yard appear as natural as possible. Many people think of water collection as having to use big rain barrels that are eye sores around your home. This is not true in all cases and there are many natural ways to conserve water with smart landscaping.

If you are working towards landscaping your backyard, you may want to start with a focal point. Many homeowners strive to have a nice deck as a focal point in their back yards. Decks can be expensive and a lot of hard work. There are many deck designs available throughout the web for little or no cost. Building a deck with a gutter system that will route and catch rain water in rain barrels can lower your monthly lawn watering bill significantly as well. The average home uses up to 40% of its water usage to water their lawn and landscaping.

After you have designed your deck layout, choosing a grass and surrounding plants that require minimal water to thrive. It is also important to choose a grass that will thrive according to your climate and region, also it is important to take into consideration the amount of shade or sun your grass will see throughout a typical day.

When planning out your flower garden, it is important to use soil additives like perlite and vermiculite that help the soil retain water for extended periods of time. As the plants need water, it is released from the perlite or vermiculite for their consumption.

Of course your main goal in rainwater harvesting is to conserve water through harvesting rain water. However, having a sprinkler system as a back up is always a smart idea. Drouts can happen any where and if your yard needs water, an efficient layout of sprinkler heads can keep your yard healthy on minimal water.  These tips mentioned are a basic guideline and keep be expanded on in many directions.

You can go so far as to install retaining ponds that feed an irrigation system for a natural looking rainwater harvesting system. Rain barrels do a great job of harnessing water, they can also be eye sores and in the way. Get creative! Be unique with your landscapes, even trying ideas that have not been tried previously.