(Note: Include a pic of your problem and your question gets posted first.
Email questions and pics with QUESTIONS in subject line to:
green(at)apartmenttherapy(dot)com)
Email questions and pics with QUESTIONS in subject line to:
green(at)apartmenttherapy(dot)com)
Ryan emailed us with this good question: I have been scouring the net to find ways to go green in my new apartment. I have found some great ways to start composting (either indoor or on my porch, unsure as of now), but I am having a heck of a time finding anything to aid me in my desire to harvest rainwater for addition to my compost and watering my plants.
I really don't think that just setting a bucket on my porch will do much as it is covered, maybe some sort of gutter system... But my fear is that that would turn real ugly, real quick; I need to maintain a decent aesthetic as I will be living with fiancée!
Thanks for answering my question, definitely a great place to start!
view Ryan Y.'s profile
I actually just got a rainbarrel this weekend, of course it hasn't rained in almost 2 months now here in Atlanta...anyway, mine is a white plastic 55 gallon barrel and I primed and painted it a khaki color, I'm going to sponge over that with a terra cotta-ish color eventually. Its in a corner behind my house and its attached to the gutter system. Its not gorgeous, but its semi-hidden and I'm going to plant some bushes or grasses around it.
view labchick's profile
I recommend avoiding the nasty plastic barrels in the first place :) Try a recycled wooden whiskey or wine barrel, available by contacting your local distillery or winery, or through a garden supply place like Master Garden Products ( http://mastergardenproducts.com/ ).
view mikaela's profile