Another challenge for Idaho gardeners is moisture. Our annual rainfall is nothing to get excited about, and the low humidity of our high-desert climate makes watering an almost-daily task.
Last year, I started using rain barrels to collect run-off from my roof. The first time it rained, I was amazed at how much water could be collected in a short period of time from a roof of modest size (my house is 800 square feet on the top floor).
In the backyard, two rain barrels are fitted with dual faucets and linked together with a short hose. Rain from the downspout fills the first barrel, and the overflow passes into the second barrel. I made platforms from cinder blocks that elevate the barrels about 10" above ground level.
These two barrels and a third are linked to soaker hoses which run through the flower and vegetable beds. When the collected rain has been used, I simply fill each barrel with the garden hose, and the soaker hoses disperse the water slowly throughout the garden.
The barrel-and-soaker-hose arrangement eliminates the need for water sprinklers. In a dry, windy climate such as Pocatello's, watering by sprinklers is a very inefficient way to get moisture to plants, as most of the water evaporates before hitting the ground.
Sometimes, especially in the early mornings, I enjoy watering the garden by hand, but the rain barrels have made even this procedure unnecessary.
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