Sorry to be Debbie Downer, but the drought in western Massachusetts has me thoroughly bummed out. As much as I’d love to be writing about fun seasonal things like dividing hostas and other perennials, those activities are not in the cards as long as our gardens are dry and the watering ban is in effect, as it is in Amherst and elsewhere.
The drought has got me thinking seriously about water conservation measures I’d never considered before.
One effective water-saving tool is the rain barrel. People have been collecting rainwater in clay pots for thousands of years. In arid climates, it’s a common practice. Now that more parts of the country are facing droughts, the rain barrel is gaining in popularity.
Positioned under a roof gutter or downspout, the barrel catches rainwater before it is lost to the pavement or the ground below. Of course, if there’s no rain, the rain barrel stays dry. But if there’s some rain, collecting whatever hits the roof of your house, garage and any other structures on your property can yield a substantial amount of water.
You might not think rainbarrels collect much water, but consider this: For every inch of rain that falls on a 1,000 square-foot area of roof, 600 gallons can be collected. Many roofs are closer to 2,000 feet, yielding 1,200 gallons per inch of rain. That’s a lot of water.
While you can’t use rain-barrel water for drinking unless you put it through a filtration process, you can use it in the garden. Plants actually prefer rainwater because it is softer that municipal water, which contains harsh chemicals such as chlorine.
Rain barrels are available online and at garden stores and big box stores. There are many kinds of barrel systems, from single round barrels with spigots to large covered cisterns and everything in between. The internet has lots of useful information about rain barrel use.
www.rainbarrelguide.com is a website I’ve found especially informative.
If you happen to be building a new house, installing a cistern under a deck or porch is a good idea.
Before you get started, you should consider the type of roofing material you have and how you plan to use the collected water. There is much debate about whether water runoff from asphalt shingles is safe for vegetable gardens. Runoff from cedar or other wood roofing materials is widely considered unsafe for vegetables because the wood is heavily treated with chemicals to fend off rot. I’m not prepared to weigh in on this, but you might want to do some research if you have questions about your roof.
Embarking on a project like this can be challenging. You will need to take certain steps, such as keeping your roof reasonably free of debris. But now more than ever it makes sense to consider the possibilities. My flowerbeds are looking very sad, and yours probably are, too.
On Sept. 14, Tower Hill’s Garden Discovery program for children ages 3-5 will feature an investigation of seeds. The hour-long session, 10 to 11 a.m., begins indoors with a craft and a story followed by a walk outside. Admission is free. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Go to: towerhillbg.org to register.
Dan and Bonita Conlon’s Warm Colors Apiary has held an autumn honey festival for more than 14 years. This year’s festival will take place on Sept. 17 from 10 a.m. till 4 p.m.
The festival is a celebration of the honey bee and our native pollinators. It’s a wonderful opportunity to recognize the many contributions that beekeepers and their bees make to agriculture and the health of our environment. The 80-acre apiary on 2 South Mill River Road in South Deerfield will be open to the public free of charge.
Visitors can talk with local beekeepers, walk the Busy Bee Nature Trail and sample this season’s honey, Green River Ambrosia’s mead, and purchase a honey ice cream cone made by Beth Cook of Flayvors of Cooks Farm with Warm Colors wildflower honey. Yum!
Bring the family and a picnic; stay for an hour or the entire day. Honey, beeswax candles and other products will be on sale. The festival will take place rain or shine.
It may be too dry to do much garden work, but that’s all the more reason to get out and see some spectacular flower shows. The New England Dahlia Society is presenting the first New England Dahlia Show at Tower Hill Botanic Garden in Boylston Sept. 18, from 10 a.m. till 4 p.m.
There will be hundreds of blooms on display, from silver-dollar size to dinner plate-size. There will also be floral designs on display. It is free with admission.
Eli Rogosa, director of the Heritage Wheat Conservancy and artisanal baker, is inviting the public to help plant wheat at the Heritage Wheat Planting Festival on Sunday from 11 a.m. till 4 p.m. at 400 Adamsville Road in Colrain.
Rogosa will be planting 72 rare varieties of landrace wheat. “It is too much for me to do alone,” she says. “Many hands make light work.”
Every person who joins in will receive a free selection of any of the amazing heritage wheats offered on growseed.org and a bag of fresh-milled einkorn flour. The planting will be followed by a potluck at 5 p.m.
For more information, contact Rogosa at growseed@yahoo.com or at 624-0214.
Mickey Rathbun can be reached at foxglover8@gmail.com.