Rain Barrel

A few months ago, I went to a Rain Barrel workshop. For the price of the workshop (which was VERY reasonable), we got a barrel, all the hardware, and the training to turn it into a working rain barrel. Complete with instruction on how to tie it into your gutter system at home, and start collecting rain water for your garden or plants. Now to me, this sounded like an AWESOME idea. I could not wait to get started.

The main problem I was facing, was that the gutters on the house were in bad shape, and in some instances had come off all together. I wasn't sure where I would be able to tie it in to our system where it would actually get water (as most of the gutters were clogged).

So it sat. On the side of the yard. Weeds growing around it, and just generally looking pathetic.

Now, new gutters are on the way (part of the makeover...) and the gutter company saw my rain barrel sitting in the weeds, and actually told me that they have incorporated rain barrels into several jobs. YEAH! Validation! But I didn't want my ugly rain barrel to become a focal point. I also didn't want to move the rain barrel to the back yard, because we all know, the plants are on the FRONT porch.

What to do? What to do?

I opted to PAINT my rain barrel. Some scoffed at the idea. And were skeptical that it would help. My hair-brained idea was to paint it red, a brick-red so it didn't stick out so bad.

And then paint brick lines on it, so it blended with the house. I thought it would be cute.

I cleaned out part of the flower bed (where the barrel was to reside) and got some retaining wall blocks to raise it up. I also put a LARGE paver on top of the blocks to provide a flat surface. Then I surrounded the area with small white landscape rock to polish it off just a bit.

As you can see, it ended up more on the "artsy" side of cute. But I certainly think it is MUCH better than the drab grey barrel that it started out at.

Stay tuned for a final update picture when the gutters get put on. (Incidentally,that's when the final makeover update for the house will happen as well...)

AMW