An example of a rain barrel
Local gardening heroes Project Grow will host a Pop-up Rain Barrel Workshop on Saturday, April 19 from 12:30pm – 2:30pm at The Yellow Barn located at 416 West Huron in Ann Arbor. The cost of building your own take-home-and-install rain barrel is $65.
Participants will assemble their own rain barrel with help from Project Grow and Mi Rain Barrel. The workshop will provide all the supplies, volunteers to help, and food-grade recycled barrels. Profits from this event support the Children’s Gardens at the Leslie Science and Nature Center site.
To register to participate, please visit www.mirainbarrel.com/signup and click “store” to learn more about the finished product. Cash & checks with valid ID will be accepted at the door. Please contact lucas (at) projectgrowgardens.org if you have any questions or would like your barrel to be assembled by PG volunteers.
Rain barrels have many advantages for gardeners and for the environment. In the 20 Minute Garden, we use water from our barrels to water the vegetable garden between rain showers. That reduces our water bill. Rain water has not been treated with chemicals so it’s better for our plants, for the soil, and for the environment. Rain barrels catch water that would normally go through the sewers to the water treatment facility and therefore save water treatment costs. For Ann Arbor residents, rain barrels entitle you to a water bill credit.
If you are interested in adding a rain barrel — or another rain barrel — to your property, this workshop sounds like a fun and educational way to get one.
