Ask any local gardener and they will tell you how important water is for success. Water use in Edmonton tends to change with the seasons and we use more in summer for a whole lot of reasons, including to keep our yards looking good. Lawn grass that is stressed by intense heat and drought can go into a state of dormancy for a few weeks until conditions return to favourable. A vegetable garden that turns to brown will not wake up. It’s not dormant; it has dried up. As Edmonton’s climate changes from gentle rains throughout the summer to periods of no rain interspersed with heavy rains, along with hotter days, you want to be ready to trap that rainwater before it makes its way into the stormwater system. One way you can do this is by constructing a rain garden. An alternative to keeping the taps on to water your vegetable garden is to invest in a couple or more sturdy, large rain barrels. It’s important to set them up properly to ensure they won’t tip when they get heavy with water and to connect an overflow tube that will direct excess water away from your home’s foundation. Once set up, while waiting for the rain, you can think about the run-off you will be preventing, money you will be saving, and the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions you will be reducing. Now is a perfect time to roll out the… rain barrel.