• slide
  • slide
  • slide
  • slide
  • slide
  • slide
  • slide
  • slide

Capture Rainwater for the Garden with Rain Barrels

Don't let all that rain run off the roof and down the storm sewer. Capture it with a rain barrel to use for watering ornamental gardens and containers. 

Use this century-old technique to help keep the water where it falls and reduce pollution.

Start with a call to your local municipality. Some have restrictions on water harvesting, but most encourage this practice and some even offer rebates.

Purchase a rain barrel or make your own from a recycled food grade container. Make sure the top is covered to keep out bugs and debris and the spigot is low, so water does not stagnate in the bottom. Include an overflow outlet to direct excess water away from the house.

Dress up your container with a bit of paint suited for outdoor use on plastic surfaces or hide it with some decorative plantings.

A bit more information: Connect several rain barrels together to maximize your water harvesting efforts. As one barrel fills, excess water passes through the connector to fill the next. 

Upcoming
Events & Webinars

May 9, 2026
Ebert's Greenhouse Village
Ixonia, WI

May 10, 2026
Ebert's Greenhouse Village
Ixonia, WI

May 13, 2026
Roots & Branches
West Bend, WI
Register here

May 16-17 2026
Ebert's Greenhouse Village
Ixonia, WI

May 20, 2026
Herb Container Workshop
Pewaukee, WI
Register here

May 21, 2026
FREE WEBINAR: 
Planting & Care of Your Rain Garden
Register here

June 3, 2026
FREE WEBINAR: 
Managing Your Landscape
with Pollinators in Mind

Register here

June 10, 2026
Enjoy Life Active Aging Symposium
Brookfield, WI
More information

July 9, 2026
Ebert's 50th Anniversary Celebration
Ixonia, WI

July 11-12, 2026
Festa Italiana
Milwaukee, WI

August 6-16, 2026
Wisconsin State Fair
We Energies Energy Park, West Allis, WI

Sept. 3, 2026
FREE WEBINAR: 
Tree Planting and Care
Register here

Sept. 12, 2026
Knowledge in Bloom Conference
Milwaukee, WI
Event Information

Sept. 17, 2026
FREE WEBINAR:
Fall Landscape Care and Planting

Register here

WATCH ON-DEMAND WEBINARS

MORE UPCOMING EVENT DETAILS 

Book an Appearance

Learn More

Sign up for Melinda's free newsletter for a chance to win 3 bags of Wild Valley Farms wool pellets, a water-holding soil amendment

ENTER NOW