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Here's an alternative to the rain barrel: A downspout "bog" (or wetland) garden, a virtually maintenance-free way of capturing rainwater for your plants. Natural Life Magazine has the blow by blow on creating a backyard mini-oasis that reduces the amount of storm-water runoff, while providing a haven for pollinating insects.
Although rainwater is naturally soft and free from minerals, chlorine, fluoride, and other harmful chemicals, water that flows across impermeable surfaces (such as roads, driveways, and sidewalks) picks up litter, pet waste, pesticides, oil and grease, and fertilizers along for the ride.
By redirecting rainwater from your roof to a bog garden, you'll help divert a rush of often-polluted water from discharging into local streams, rivers, and lakes, where it can kill or damage plants, fish, and wildlife.
To keep skeeters and other pests away, you can add mosquito dunks (a microbial larvicide) or a few small, insect-larvae-gobbling fish to your bog. (You might want to reconsider the idea entirely, however, if West Nile virus is an issue in your area.) If your landscaping tastes run toward the exotic, check out Associated Content's guide to adding carnivorous plants. ::Natural Life Magazine
Difficulty level: Moderate
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