Archive for November 2010
Backyard Recirculating Fountains: A Flexible, Low-Maintenance Water Feature
Recirculating fountains are a great way to add a self-contained water feature to your backyard. You get the benefit of a cascading waterfall—and the relaxing sounds—without the hassle of hooking the fountain up to a dedicated water source such as a garden hose or other outdoor plumbing. Recirculating fountains rely on an electric pump that sends water from a small reservoir pan at the base throughout the entire system. The pump continues to recycle the…
Read MoreBeyond the Rain Barrel: Installing a Cistern for Rainwater Harvesting in Seattle
By now, most of us probably have a rain barrel or two that we use to catch rainwater from our roof. These red 50-gallon barrels have become common features around Seattle, Burien, Normandy Park and other cities, especially because you can get them at a nice reasonable price and they’re easy to set up. We currently have three of them at our house, and we’re able to use the water that we catch to irrigate…
Read MoreHow Rain Gardens Help Portland Homeowners Save on Utility Bills
Our neighbors to the south in the city of Portland are doing some great things with rain gardens as well. Seattle has led the way, but other cities have been doing their part in stormwater controls. The Portland Tribune has this cool feature explaining how one couple in Portland saved money on their utility bill with their three rain gardens. Rain gardens — essentially sunken areas filled with plants to collect surface water — absorb…
Read MoreRain Gardens and Stormwater Control: How Homeowners Can Protect Puget Sound
There are many landscape tools homeowners can use to control stormwater runoff, considered the largest source of pollution in Puget Sound. From planting trees to installing a rain garden or large cisterns, you can help minimize the excess rainwater runoff that washes toxic pollutants into Puget Sound each year. Every time it rains, water falling onto roofs, parking lots, driveways or hard-packed soil washes unfiltered into storm drains and directly into our streams, creeks, rivers…
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