The Door is Open, broken and catching water!

A couple of years ago (two I think) our garage doors took a hit during a storm and one of them wasn't able to be repaired.  So it was time to replace both garage doors!

Below is the new door but gives you an idea of the panels that I mention.

 All the metal materials (the rails that the doors ride on) and all of the pressboard from the panels ended up in a pile in the yard - a lot of the metal was twisted and bent.  I was able to dig right in and use the panel pieces right away as benches for plant growing in the greenhouse - an immediate upcycle!

Below is one of the benches that I made with a pressboard panel.  Of course covered in the upcycled tinfoil that the Senior class gave me!

The below photo shows the twisted pile of metal that used to be the guide rails for the doors.  I just had to find something I could use them for!  I can't stand dumpster only items so.....

I got my trusty saw and my tin snips and I went to work making a way to catch more rainwater from my barrel system.  I have a great water catchment system set up from the greenhouse and my little shed that I put rain gutter on and directed it into a series of barrels.  But when it is really hot and dry I go through all the water from the barrels in a hurry.  The barrels fill up and then just overflow onto the ground - but I wanted to be able to also use rain water to fill up the barrel inside the greenhouse with that great mineral filled rain water as well. 

Below is a chunk of the metal that I started with.  I planned to create a diversion system to a secondary water tub beneath each rain barrel to give me and extra 50 gallons or so of water.  I know that I have a hose and sprinkler, but the sprinkler spray only waters to an inch or two below the surface and it uses a lot of electricity running the pump to try to get the water to the plants.  Its a way better system to have gallons of water on standby - relatively free that I can pour a good quantity onto the area directly where I need it.

I know it doesn't look like much but just wait!

I used the same sealant that I used to keep the rain gutter together (recommended by my Lowe's helper).  My rain barrels are upcycled soap barrels from a car wash.  I paid $25.00 each for them from the local car wash and rinsed them really well before I used them.  Call your local car wash or watch for them on Craigslist.

I measured and cut a rectangle wedge out of the lowest side of the rain barrel.  I used my tin snips to flap the barrel end of the metal trough (see below) to give the water a good path.  I put a seam of the sealant on each edge of the cut and wedged the metal trough part into the space.  After it was dry I used sealant around all of the edges that touch the barrel.

This way when the main barrel becomes full it diverts it into the lower barrel/tub.  The one below is just a Rubbermaid plastic tub that gives me an extra 20 gallons of water, but even if all you have is a 5 gallon bucket its a good thing!

I am thinking I will put this on the base of an old yard cart that the sides are missing from so that I can roll it to the plants I need to get it to.  

The barrel below has two incoming gutter pipes - one from each side of the shed - that is the reason I did this barrel first - it fills up faster than any of the others.  I plan to do this with all of the barrels I have around the greenhouse and house.  Makes great use of the damaged metal and makes my life easier as well!

Simple and fairly easy to DIY!  See what you have to use that can upcycle into a great catchment system for your farm!

*** There are some states that restrict the catchment of water - please do check the regulations where you live - or be a water outlaw!

A Fountain on any Farm Urban or Remote!

I know you have all been wondering where the heck I've been - It's been a while since I posted but I really have been busy - getting a lot done!

I love the sound of water!  Something about the flow, the swoosh, and woosh as it runs down a water fall, creek, or pot fountain soothes me and takes me to my happy place if even for a moment!

Don't know what a pot fountain is?  Well let me tell you!  A pot fountain is a beautiful planting pot turned into a fountain!  Im pretty sure you have seen them on Pinterest if you have that - if not just see below!

The above fountain is in place at my moms house - Snowfire Gardens.  It is a huge pot (about 3 feet tall) and makes a wonderful splashing that the birds, bees and people love to watch (children love to splash in it - yes).  It was made by the purchase of a large pot (Fred Meyers, Kroger, or even Home Depot and Lowes are all sources for these), make sure your pot has only one hole in the bottom or that you have a way to seal up the other if it has more than one, a small pump kit (not sure what size this is) and a bushel plastic bucket.  It also requires some metal mesh - like the stuff you scrape your feet on in front of the schools.  I used a grate material that came out of an old car wash.  I dont recommend aluminum as it is too soft and wont hold up all the rocks and other stuff you will be putting on it.    You will also need some tubing or PVC or copper pipe of a size that will fit the hole in the bottom of your pot.

The above right is similar to the bushel basket I used - this project is a re-vamp for me so I wasn't starting from scratch so you could see the whole process - sorry!  The left is very close to the pump I used for this project.  

Dig a hole that the bushel tub will fit into and almost level with the ground.  The tub should stick up about 3 inches above the soil level.  My tub is round but it doesnt have to be - square, oval or rectangle will work also as long as your steel mesh material will fit over the top of it.  Make sure you choose a location for your fountain that isnt close to an area of high vehicle traffic - the motion will cause the sides of your bushel tub to cave in potentially.

Above you can see the side of the tub and the grate material that I used.  Below you can see the bags I used to keep the weeds down under the rocks for the fountain.  Be sure to tuck the bags under the edge of the pot - I didnt do it the first time and that is why you get to see the re-do!  Should have done it the first time.  The grass loves the amount of water it gets around the pot. It also gives you a better view of the grate material.  It just has to be wide enough to let the water through and narrow enough to not let rocks and debris fall into the tub underneath.

Below is the view into the pot - my pot is much smaller than the Snowfire Garden on but my space is smaller as well.  You can see the PVC pipe sticking a few inches up through the hold in the pot.

Below is another view of the pot with the PVC coming up through.

Below you can see the PVC coming out the bottom of the pot.  That is the pipe that connects to the pump under the water in the tub.  I had to put the pump on a brick in the tub to get it to reach high enough to put the PVC onto it.  Be sure you have this part set up BEFORE you put the rocks on the grating or you will have to move them all again to get to it and make it fit right.  Voice of experience there too!  Its okay if there is a gap around the tube - some water will run back out of the pot and you want it to - if water stays in the pot and it freezes it will break the pot.

You can see above the level of the water in the tub - you have to fill it up almost to the top.

I also had to adjust the length of the pipe and cut a little off of the end inside the pot - if it is too tall the water shoots up like a geyser and doesnt go back into the pot - just waters the lawn!  It took a little time to get that part right and it depends on the size of your pot how much you can have sticking up in side the pot.

The above photo shows the gap I leave that the PVC fits through to attach to the pump.  Just enough to get it through and still keep out debris.  Once you have your grating and your pot in place you can put all the rocks you have collected around it, making sure to cover the bags and the grate material so they cant be seen - a little bit of a natural look.

This is a great project for those of us who are ultimate rock hounds!  You can bring all of your pretty rocks to your fountain area and keep adding them and adjusting them until they are just right for you.  I have a lot of favorites including the ammonite you see in the upper right of the photo above.  Its a fossilized giant snail!  The water splashes over the rocks and makes them look polished and brings out their true colors.

I also added a Rhubarb leaf birdbath to the fountain area.  I have it adjusted using some of the rocks so that the birdbath fills when the fountain is running but so that the water still runs back into the tub underneath.  Ill give a little tutorial on the Rhubarb leaves in another blog - be watching for that!

This uses a lot of water when you are running the fountain - you have to fill it every time you use it - sometimes while it is on if it is really hot or if the wind is blowing.  Just run your hose into it and fill it up!  If you dont keep it full enough you risk burning up your pump.

This is not a one day project for the most part - unless you are putting in a really long day - but it can definitely be completed in a weekend!  I hope you can create an oasis where ever you call home and enjoy the sound of the water soothing away your cares!