While thinking spring - don't forget to place your order for a free tree sapling!

Here's a tip to plan ahead for gardening season. Now is the time to capitalize on the spring rains and save water in the gardening season ahead. Install a rain barrel on one of your home's downspouts and have fresh rainwater for your garden all season. We put 2 barrels on our barn's downspouts a few years ago to service our vegetable garden - which is located near the barn - but not near an outside water source. We could water without dragging 150 ft of hose across the lawn.

We found 2 old fashioned looking oak barrels that were all fitted up with taps and short hoses and holes with skimmers in the top at Phantom Gardener in Rhinebeck a few years ago. You can probably find simliar online somewhere. Gardeners Supply also carries a couple of plastic varieties - if you aren't so concerned about the aesthetic. They aren't cheap - but they really do work great! When the gutters are fully operational (and not damaged by snow falling off the barn's metal roof) - I can water most of the veggie garden all summer, The exception is when we are going through a real dry spell and it really needs a good long soaking - then only soaker hoses hooked up to a tap will do the job.