🌱 GARDEN TIP OF THE WEEK ⁠ Harvesting Rainwater ⁠ ⁠ Water is a precious resource. When it rains, it makes sense for us as gardeners to collect it—especially in areas that experience frequent drought. The most common way to do this is with a rain barrel. ⁠ ⁠ Rainwater barrels are simple to maintain and operate. A barrel is installed at the gutter downspout of a building to collect rainwater, which can be stored in the barrel and later used to water your garden. Small garden barrels can hold from 50-300 gallons. Some barrels can be connected to one another for increased capacity. ⁠ ⁠ Why You Should Collect Rainwater ⁠ ⁠ The EPA estimates that homeowners can save about 1,300 gallons of water from utilities during summer, when gardens need it the most. ⁠ ⁠ Collecting rainwater reduces runoff that can pollute streams and also cause erosion. ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ Tips for Using Collected Water: ⁠ ⁠ 🥬 Because harvested rainwater usually comes in contact with roofing materials, it is not recommended for edi...