Tell me about rain barrels

Diamond_Doll

This is our first year in our home and therefore our first year having a garden/yard. I just can't bring myself to run a sprinkler over my flowers every day! I've been looking into buying a rain barrel to use for garden watering, but honestly I have no idea where to start. Any recommendations for rain barrels, how to use them, which are best, etc, etc?? TIA!

SuperGreen

Our HOA doesn't allow them so I can't wait to get one when we move!  Pretty much any gardening store should have them, Gardener's Supply has a bunch of really pretty ones.  You hook them up to your downspouts,  like majorwife said you'll want one that either encloses the spout or has a screen to keep bugs and debris out.  Ditto on the overflow valve.  You just hook your hose up to the faucet and water your plants!

Pescalita

We got 2 of these from Home Depot. We were going to look into making them ourselves, but they were $70 and came with a super easy diverter kit.

curlydoglover

We just purchased one from our local MSD.  Nothing fancy - just a 55gal blue plastic barrel, pre-fitted with an overflow spout, hose spigot, etc.

They have a nice site on installation, etc.

http://v3.mmsd.com/rbinstall.aspx

another KT

We made our own rain barrels.  They have easy to remove lids so I can put the entire watering can in the barrel to fill it up.  Also consider revising your landscaping so it is working for you and you are not working for it.  I loving gardening but refuse to be a slave to the garden and refuse to have anything in my yard that is not drought, bug, and disease resistant.  If have must haves in your yard consider drip irrigation.