Comments on: Rain garden in action http://www.penick.net/digging/?p=222 Austin gardener/designer chronicles the creation of her own gardens and showcases others with eye-catching photos in award-winning blog Tue, 07 Sep 2010 15:59:41 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: chuck b. http://www.penick.net/digging/?p=222&cpage=1#comment-1645 chuck b. Fri, 16 Mar 2007 04:53:54 +0000 http://www.penick.net/digging/?p=222#comment-1645 Love, love, LOVE the rain-barrel! Thank you for showing this to us. You got a nice effect juxtaposing the light-colored agave next to plants with darker foliage. <em>Glad you enjoyed the post. Rain barrels are pretty common in Austin, so I don't always remember that not everyone knows about them. I'll bet even temperate San Francisco has dry spells when you could use a barrel or two of free water, yes? ---Pam</em> Love, love, LOVE the rain-barrel! Thank you for showing this to us.

You got a nice effect juxtaposing the light-colored agave next to plants with darker foliage.

Glad you enjoyed the post. Rain barrels are pretty common in Austin, so I don’t always remember that not everyone knows about them. I’ll bet even temperate San Francisco has dry spells when you could use a barrel or two of free water, yes? —Pam

]]> By: Kim http://www.penick.net/digging/?p=222&cpage=1#comment-1639 Kim Thu, 15 Mar 2007 21:04:17 +0000 http://www.penick.net/digging/?p=222#comment-1639 What a beautiful rain garden... not what I expected a rain garden to look like, although I can't quite articulate what I would have expected. If you hadn't told me that it was a rain garden, I would never have known--and that is the best part of it. It fits into the rest of your garden so well! (And I'm completely drooling over those agaves, as usual.) <em>Kim, I just bought a new one today---squid agave! Don't you just love the name? I'll have pics soon. ---Pam</em> What a beautiful rain garden… not what I expected a rain garden to look like, although I can’t quite articulate what I would have expected. If you hadn’t told me that it was a rain garden, I would never have known–and that is the best part of it. It fits into the rest of your garden so well!

(And I’m completely drooling over those agaves, as usual.)

Kim, I just bought a new one today—squid agave! Don’t you just love the name? I’ll have pics soon. —Pam

]]> By: firefly http://www.penick.net/digging/?p=222&cpage=1#comment-1619 firefly Wed, 14 Mar 2007 20:52:12 +0000 http://www.penick.net/digging/?p=222#comment-1619 It's on my list to get a rainbarrel this year (also to fix the gutters, which unfortunately leak at the seams and don't channel the water into downspouts properly), but am I ever glad I read this post and your post on the rain garden first. I always learn from reading here because you write simply and well, and illustrate with photos. Thanks so much! <em>Thanks for the nice words, Firefly. Good luck with your rainbarrel. ---Pam</em> It’s on my list to get a rainbarrel this year (also to fix the gutters, which unfortunately leak at the seams and don’t channel the water into downspouts properly), but am I ever glad I read this post and your post on the rain garden first.

I always learn from reading here because you write simply and well, and illustrate with photos. Thanks so much!

Thanks for the nice words, Firefly. Good luck with your rainbarrel. —Pam

]]> By: Yolanda Elizabet http://www.penick.net/digging/?p=222&cpage=1#comment-1617 Yolanda Elizabet Wed, 14 Mar 2007 18:50:17 +0000 http://www.penick.net/digging/?p=222#comment-1617 Pam, could a very large water tank be put under ground? Do you have a cellar? Grey water storage is the way to go, especially if there are so many droughts in the area you live in. Here we have the opposite problem: too much water. Pam, could a very large water tank be put under ground? Do you have a cellar? Grey water storage is the way to go, especially if there are so many droughts in the area you live in. Here we have the opposite problem: too much water.

]]> By: r sorrell http://www.penick.net/digging/?p=222&cpage=1#comment-1616 r sorrell Wed, 14 Mar 2007 16:42:13 +0000 http://www.penick.net/digging/?p=222#comment-1616 I've heard that you should only use a rain barrel from your gutters if you have a metal roof... that shingles pollute the water. Does that sound right to you? <em>I've never heard that. The City of Austin, which promotes rain barrels, has not mentioned it, at least not that I've seen. The screen on top of the rain barrel, which keeps out mosquitoes, also catches shingle particles during hard rains, so the water is kept pretty clean. I haven't noticed any adverse effects from using it. ---Pam</em> I’ve heard that you should only use a rain barrel from your gutters if you have a metal roof… that shingles pollute the water. Does that sound right to you?

I’ve never heard that. The City of Austin, which promotes rain barrels, has not mentioned it, at least not that I’ve seen. The screen on top of the rain barrel, which keeps out mosquitoes, also catches shingle particles during hard rains, so the water is kept pretty clean. I haven’t noticed any adverse effects from using it. —Pam

]]> By: kate http://www.penick.net/digging/?p=222&cpage=1#comment-1612 kate Wed, 14 Mar 2007 09:39:01 +0000 http://www.penick.net/digging/?p=222#comment-1612 Hi there, Just wanted to say that your photographs are beautiful. I had a pang of sadness when I saw your rain barrel. I have the same one as you do, but it cracked last winter and has been leaking ever since. I am hoping to get it fixed because it was the best thing for watering my patio pots by hand. Have added your blog to my 'playing in the dirt' links. Kate <em>Thank you, Kate! It's nice to meet another Canadian gardener. ---Pam</em> Hi there,

Just wanted to say that your photographs are beautiful. I had a pang of sadness when I saw your rain barrel. I have the same one as you do, but it cracked last winter and has been leaking ever since. I am hoping to get it fixed because it was the best thing for watering my patio pots by hand.

Have added your blog to my ‘playing in the dirt’ links.

Kate

Thank you, Kate! It’s nice to meet another Canadian gardener. —Pam

]]> By: Bill Lane http://www.penick.net/digging/?p=222&cpage=1#comment-1611 Bill Lane Wed, 14 Mar 2007 07:12:46 +0000 http://www.penick.net/digging/?p=222#comment-1611 I've never heard of a rain barrel before. What a great idea. Especially with the wet weather stream. Many homes here are installing water tanks to capture either their greywater or the rainwater from their gutters. These vary enormously in size (color and shape) and many councils are offering discounts to encourage their uptake. I really appreciate the insight you get from blogs about how we respond to similar problems in different parts of the world. Particularly appreciate your blog Pam. I don't often comment but reading is always an important part of my day. <em>I think our rain barrel is your water tank. It sits under the gutter and collects rainwater running off the roof. The <a href="http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/watercon/rbsales.htm">City of Austin</a> sells these very cheaply to residents to encourage water conservation. We don't hear much about gray-water collection yet, but I suspect that will change someday soon because of growth pressures on our water supply, not to mention droughts.</em> <em>I appreciate your blog too, Bill. Thanks for commenting. ---Pam</em> I’ve never heard of a rain barrel before. What a great idea. Especially with the wet weather stream. Many homes here are installing water tanks to capture either their greywater or the rainwater from their gutters. These vary enormously in size (color and shape) and many councils are offering discounts to encourage their uptake.

I really appreciate the insight you get from blogs about how we respond to similar problems in different parts of the world. Particularly appreciate your blog Pam. I don’t often comment but reading is always an important part of my day.

I think our rain barrel is your water tank. It sits under the gutter and collects rainwater running off the roof. The City of Austin sells these very cheaply to residents to encourage water conservation. We don’t hear much about gray-water collection yet, but I suspect that will change someday soon because of growth pressures on our water supply, not to mention droughts.

I appreciate your blog too, Bill. Thanks for commenting. —Pam

]]> By: Tim http://www.penick.net/digging/?p=222&cpage=1#comment-1609 Tim Wed, 14 Mar 2007 01:46:27 +0000 http://www.penick.net/digging/?p=222#comment-1609 Soooo glad we have gotten the rain. There is nothing better than sitting outside under a porch and listening, smelling and appreciating the rain in Central Texas. The only down-side is missing out on spring break garden time since I teach for a living. Tim in Leander <em>Hi, Tim. Thanks for commenting. It's always good to hear from readers in the Austin area. ---Pam</em> Soooo glad we have gotten the rain. There is nothing better than sitting outside under a porch and listening, smelling and appreciating the rain in Central Texas. The only down-side is missing out on spring break garden time since I teach for a living. Tim in Leander

Hi, Tim. Thanks for commenting. It’s always good to hear from readers in the Austin area. —Pam

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