Once upon a time, I could tell you that the rainy season will start at 4:00 PM on June 11th, and continue with a shower every day at 4:00 PM, until September 13th. For reasons which could be discussed and debated at length, we no longer have that kind of predictability. So, I’m not going to give any anecdotal predictions about this year’s rainy season. I am fairly confident it will indeed come this summer, but don’t quote me on that!
Since summer is traditionally the rainy season in Florida, let’s review Florida-Friendly ways to capture those precious rain drops and save them for a non-rainy day.
Rain barrels are the most obvious ways in which one can capture the rain and store it for later use. They are back in vogue, and you can find good rain barrels at any home improvement store as well as on-line. The DIY enthusiast can create a rain barrel out of used feed grade barrels that once held food being or animal grains. Florida-Friendly Landscaping offers Rain Barrel Workshops every month (except December) at the Spring Hill Branch Library and every 3rd month, we offer a Saturday workshop at the East Hernando Branch Library, near Interstate 75. We are able to purchase the rain barrels in bulk, and pass the savings on to the residents. We offer an enclosed rain collection system, which connects directly to your downspout and greatly minimizes mosquito concerns. Prices will vary with each shipment. Hernando County Utility customers will receive a one-time credit of $25 for attending the workshop we offer and purchasing one of our barrels. Attendance at the educational workshop is mandatory to purchase a rain barrel from us. We all know plants just love rainwater, and having a rain barrel in your yard allows you to bring rain water to your bedding and vegetable plants. Another important aspect is that at least the rain that you store in the barrel did not go down the storm drain and contribute to stormwater runoff, picking up pollutants as it traveled down the storm drain to the nearest body of water. To find out more about our Rain Barrel Workshops, give us a call at 352-540-6230.
Rain harvesting doesn’t stop at rain barrels, though. There are more little tricks you can implement to keep the rain in your yard, and prevent stormwater runoff. Rain Gardens are an efficient and beautiful way to stop the rain from streaming out of your yard, and to help it filter into the ground. They are nothing more than shallow depressions in the landscape, natural or manmade, in which you place plants that are happy with wet or dry feet. During a rain event, the rain filters to the rain garden, stops there, and filters into the ground. It is not a pond, nor a water garden, but an attractive way to stop the water from flowing out of your property.
One really easy, but often overlooked way of saving the rain is to position your downspouts so that they empty onto a plant bed or your lawn. It just doesn’t make sense to allow that runoff to pour down your driveway. Extensions can be added to the downspout, to slow the flow of water down, if you are concerned with erosion. Please avoid accordion style extensions, as they are havens for millions of mosquitos.
If you are replacing your driveway, or installing a patio or walkways in your landscape, strongly consider pervious material. Bricks, pavers, rocks, mulch, gravel, shells, etc. Anything that allows water to soak through it makes an impact on the reduction of stormwater runoff.
Think about all of the paved surfaces we have in Florida. Think of all of the roofs we have in Florida. So much more than 50 or even 20 years ago. Development has created many impervious surfaces, and stormwater runoff is a much bigger issue than in the past. If each of us took a few simple steps to reduce stormwater runoff from our own property, we would make an impact on the amount of pollutants entering our waterways, and we would reap the benefits of recycled rain drops.