Harvesting Rainwater for Easy Collection, Storage, and Use

For frugal gardeners, rain is money that falls from the sky. Not only is it free, but many plants prefer it to city water that may contain chemicals.

Unfiltered rainwater is non-potable, but considered to be generally safe for watering plants. Kristine Rad/Shutterstock

Rainwater adds up, and quickly; one inch of rain runoff from a 1,000-sq.-ft. roof results in an impressive 600 gallons of water—just imagine how far that will go in the garden. Even a more typical spring or summer shower of a mere quarter inch can result in 150 gallons.

There may even be enough left over after watering the plants to wash the car.