Water Conservation Series: Rain Barrels & Wicking Gardens

Rain Barrels and Wicking Gardens

Rain Barrels: This class is sure to be a barrel of fun!  Experts agree rainwater is the best water for your lawn, landscape, or vegetable garden.  Join us to learn simple techniques on how to divert, store, and use one of nature’s best resources for the garden.  We’ll also pour through the basics and benefits of rainwater harvesting in barrels and how it can reduce the effect your stormwater has on the environment.  We’ll discuss how you can build your own rain barrel, rather than purchasing a pre-made (or ready-to-assemble) version, with some basic supplies and a few simple steps.  

Wicking Gardens:  Wicking beds and pots water themselves and are a great DIY project for the water smart gardener.  Wicking beds and pots are watered from a reservoir below the soil.  Through a practical demonstration, this workshop will introduce the principals involved and give you the know-how to build a wicking garden system at home.  A wicking bed prototype will be explained as part of the workshop.  

Participants will learn:

• An introduction to the benefits of wicking beds and pots, and how they work
• Different types of wicking beds and pots
• Tips and traps in making your own
• Practical demonstration

Water Conservation Series

This session is part of the Water Conservation Series. These workshops were developed in response to common questions and concerns about various topics related to water conservation, water quality, pollution increases, and ecological issues.  The workshops provide a brief overview (with a chance for questions and answers) for Texas Hill Country residents to better understand where our water comes from and how to protect this important resource. The 10 sessions in this weekly series take place on Mondays from 12:00pm to 1:30pm beginning June 5th and ending August 7th. Feel free to bring your lunch while you learn of ways we all can protect our precious water sources!

Join us for all 10 session in this series or just the sessions that interest you!

• Session 1: June 5 - Aquifers
• Session 2: June 12 - Rain Harvesting
• Session 3: June 19 - Rain Barrels and Wicking Gardens
• Session 4: June 26 - Drip Irrigation
• Session 5: July 3 - Find and Fix Leaks at Home
• Session 6: July 10 - Landscape & Lawn Care in Our Semi-Arid Texas Hill Country
• Session 7: July 17 - Water Conserving Plants; Bees, Butterflies, and Hummingbirds
• Session 8: July 24 - Xeriscape, Rain Gardens, & Prairie Ponds
• Session 9: July 31 - Composting
• Session 10: August 7 - Pruning for Winter and Frost Protection

About the Speakers

This session in the Water Conservation Series is presented by the following speakers:

Steven Grainger, PhD
Doctorate from Texas A&M
Hydrologist and Good Guy
Master Gardener; comalmg.org
Dr. Steven Grainger is a retired Aggie Texas Professional Engineer who turned to Master Gardening yet still practices his analytical skills.  He specializes in Irrigation Efficiency and Rainwater Harvesting but is currently also working to specialize in Trees and Tree Care.  He has been a Master Gardener in Comal County for 11 years having served once as President, and now serves as Water Conservation Chair and Vice Chair of the AgriLife Extension Facilities Steering Committee.  He also is Outreach Co-chair on the Comal County Conservation Alliance Board of Directors.  As a person deeply committed to preserving our natural land and water resources, he and his wife of 52 years actively encourage others to do so, too.  He can also advise on landscaping for water efficiency and retention or storm water management.  Our services are always free, and we welcome questions anytime.

Larry Sunn, EdD
Supreme Commander
Doctorate from BYU in Statistics & Research
Director, Comal Trinity Groundwater Conservation District
Director, Healthcare Innovation Sciences
A retired career Marine Captain, and a retired 25-year university professor of statistics and research from the University of Redlands, Dr. Larry Sunn consults free of charge, along with Dr. Steven Grainger, with area residents interested in rain harvesting systems.  Dr. Sunn serves his community as a member of Comal Trinity Groundwater Conservation District’s Board of Directors, a Director on the Board of the HIS Centre, and he is President of the Bulverde Community Park Association.  He and his wife of 60 years have lived on the west side of Bulverde for the past 23 years. 

Learn more about Dr. Grainger's and Dr. Sunn's work here: www.rainbees.com