A rain barrel to conserve your free rain water is essential for any green gardener. Often though, rain barrels don’t seem to be very attractive or natural looking. This wooden rain barrel is beautifully and sturdily made of Canadian spruce and has a generous capacity of 67 gallons of rain water. It has a solid brass tap and a snug fitting wooden lid to keep out mosquitoes and other insects, as well as stainless steel bands to hold the barrel together. It would look good in any yard and doesn’t need hiding away from view but can rather become a feature of a natural green garden.

Currently costs $249.95 (50% discounted from usual price) at Garden.com.

A rain barrel is essential for eco-friendly gardening, storing your free rain water and reducing your water bills. But they are usually very bulky and heavy items, costing quite a bit for delivery as well as in the purchase price. A collapsible rain barrel is a very affordable solution. This one stores up to 74 gallons of water and only weighs 8 lbs. It can be stored away at the end of the season to prevent problems with it freezing up in winter. There is mesh screen to keep out debris but it is not fine enough to keep the mosquitoes out too, so you may need to add another layer of screening if mosquitoes are a problem in your area. Though probably less durable than a solid resin rain barrel, this collapsible model does the job.

Costs $59.99 at Amazon.com

Designed for the small urban space, these rainwater barrels take up the minimum of space for the maximum water capacity. They can be located vertically against a fence or hidden horizontally under a raised deck, so that you can collect and make use of your free rainwater, even when you only have a very small backyard. The 47.6 gallon tanks are made of recyclable, food grade polyethylene, unlike many rain barrels, which means that your rainwater will be drinkable, as long as your roof or deck is made of non-toxic materials. They are not very beautiful to look at, but the small footprint and narrow design means that the tank can easily be fitted into small spaces and even hidden inside walls.

Costs $379 for one, or $699 for two, at Real Goods

It’s ugly but it’s big! When you are serious about collecting rain water to water your garden and reduce your environmental impact, the usual 50 gallon barrels just aren’t going to make enough difference. This 300 gallon barrel may not look as beautiful, but it sure does hold a lot of water and will be a real help if you live in a water scarce area, where you have to make the most of each rain shower. This would only be practical if you have a reasonable sized back yard to hide it in. It does have a flat back design which helps it take up less room and makes it easier to connect to the rain water down pipe. It has a screen to keep out bugs and debris and a brass spigot which can be placed in a choice of two locations depending on your own preference.

Priced at $759.99 on Amazon.com

Rain barrels aren’t often high on the attractive feature of the backyard list, but this model actually does look good enough to take up space on your deck or outside the door. At first glance it looks like terracotta but is actually a sturdy UV-stable polyethylene and comes with a tap and short hose to make watering easier. It connects to your rainwater downpipe with a special downspout diverter which needs to be purchased separately. At just 50 gallon capacity this could easily fill up after just one rain-storm, so isn’t really big enough to make a huge difference in your water consumption, but it’s a start for water-wise gardeners who want to make use of free rainwater. Best of all for those with only small garden it isn’t an eyesore that needs to be hidden away and you can even use the top to display pot plants.

Costs $149 from Gardener’s Supply Company

For eco-conscious gardeners who are short on space this combination of compost maker and rain barrel is a great solution. The composter works on the tumbling principle where you turn it every so often to aerate the compost. The excess liquid or compost tea from the compost making process is filtered down in to the rain barrel, where it combines with the rain water to make a magic potion for your plants. The 47 gallon rain barrel links to your rain water down pipe and stores enough water to keep your garden happy; with the addition of the compost tea , your garden will be even happier! While it’s not all that pretty to look at, it is compact and well designed and it does come in a choice of five colors: black, oak, forest green, khaki and terracotta.

Costs $249 at Amazon.com

From the Manufacturer

Every gardener knows that the key to a successful growing season is water, water, and more water. But with droughts and shortages hitting parts of the U.S. and Canada, keeping flowers flourishing and the veggie patch productive can be a costly proposition. The Fiskars Rain Barrel System is an easy way to collect, store, and dispense this valuable resource, so you can use it to provide much-needed moisture for your vegetable garden, container planters, and even indoor plants. Diverter channels water from gutter downspout to the barrel. The Downspout Diverter Makes the Difference Designed to easily integrate into your home’s existing downspouts, Fiskars worry-free diverter kits, included with most Fiskars Rain Barrels (not included with the Fiskars Saguaro Rain Barrel system), channel rainwater from your downspout into the rain barrel. When the rain barrel is full, the diverter channels the water back to the downspout and away from your home’s fo (more…)

Adapts from 2″ x 4″ to fit 3″ x 4″downspouts.

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Embrace nature’s solution to our emerging water shortage-collect rainwater! Our authentic oak barrel texture is molded into each barrel and will not fade, rot or risk insect infestation. The RTS Accents rain barrel has many unique features including a flat back to sit flush against a wall, linkable to other rain barrels for increased capacity, screen to keep out debris and insects, and a shut off valve for hose hook up with dual overflow. 50-Gallon capacity, wood grain

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Amazon.com

Keep the veggies growing and the grass green this summer without increasing the water bill with this environmentally friendly water barrel from Achla. Compact enough to fit on a deck or patio, this water barrel catches and stores rainfall and roof runoff to store 54 gallons of water for irrigating or washing the car when the clouds are long gone. The barrel features a debris screen that keeps out leaves, bird droppings, and other waste. For optimal safety and peace of mind, the lid on this rain barrel is child-proof. Designed with an overflow tube to divert excess water away from basements and footpaths, a convenient shut-off valve at the end of the overflow hose lets you begin storing water again with the flip of a switch. The barrel measures 32 by 24 inches (height by diameter). An easy to use linking kit is included for linking this barrel with other barrels (if purchased) for additional capacity. Made of durable, UV-stable polyethylene the barrel is buil (more…)