Native perennials, raised bed vegetable garden, and rainwater harvesting in zone 8B 

I learned so much and it was so much fun! Thank-You for being willing to share your sanctuary with us.

Love you mom! I’ll come help you🙌

​@@theplantninja-texasgardenerlooking forward to it, love you too ❤

Thanks Cici! I felt like a kid in a candy store in that space! I feel the same when I see all the goodies in your garden. You always have a little surprise for us💗

You are most welcome! Comments like these pump me up🙌 I’m so excited that you feel better informed to tackle garden challenges😊You’ve got this!

Howdy neighbor! I’m still trying to earn my seat at the expert table BUT so grateful for those willing to let me share with them on this channel. Some days it’s the hot mess express 😝

Thank-you 😊

Howdy France! So glad you enjoyed the video. Jean is a garden inspiration! I’m looking forward to implementing a lot of this into practice myself😊

@@theplantninja-texasgardener doubly interesting for me as she used to garden in Germany and has had to learn new ways to do things. I used to garden in the UK so I had no experience of dry hot summers. Now I’ve got several varieties of sage and Phlomis (Jerusalem sage).

@@simonbarrow479 I really need to work on learning the botanical names😜

I have a metal tank (230 gallon) but they come larger. The difference between metal and plastic is mostly aesthetics. Here’s an interview with the owner of the place I purchased from: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-RywmSED3NZU.htmlsi=4ZZ8Mvj8uUkFNn6T Here’s an online supplier of plastic tanks: www.tank-depot.com Here’s how I hooked up my pump: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-yNaXBOxVt68.htmlsi=GqJnbadjp-SlQcua Here’s how I set up my drip irrigation. I plan on attaching to my rain tank to my drip irrigation. I don’t explain how to connect the drip irrigation to the rain tank specifically but essentially you just attach the head assembly to the pump output instead of a municipal spigot: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-YWWGqbl_RFc.htmlsi=zM5s3mtQDRt8jFei In terms of treating your water, it’s up to you. Some would argue the water in the rain tank is too risky to apply to your edible garden due to runoff contaminates and bacteria without purifying it first. I use mine without a purifier and I don’t have a diverter. If you plan on drinking the water you should definitely plan on a first flush diverter and purification system.

Thanks for checking it out😊

Her garden is such an inspiration on so many levels! That’s so cool that you’re an artist as well…that artistic flare shines in your videos.

@@theplantninja-texasgardener Well I don't know about artistic flare, but I will say thank you lol - I enjoy your videos and info! :D

Welcome aboard! I’m hoping she’ll help me upgrade my rain harvesting system🙌

Good to see you Maximus! Jean dropped some serious garden knowledge on us in this video. I learned a lot myself. I’m stoked to get a solar powered pump going😊

Excellent question! Safest and easiest answer is to not use non-potable rainwater on your edible garden. However if you’re looking to do so in the safest manner I think there are two big concerns : 1. Are there significant microbial contaminants from the roof, gutters/downspouts, barrel to create risk of illness? The answer is yes. There are basic measures you could take to minimize the risk. Apply the water directly to the soil(drip irrigation) instead of plants. Water in the morning and harvest in the evening. Clean produce well after harvesting. Some sites suggest adding a prescribed amount of bleach to the barrel. Of course you could add a filtration system to your harvesting setup to make it potable. rainwaterharvesting.tamu.edu/files/2011/05/gi-366_2021994.pdf 2. Are there significant toxins leached from the roof to pose a threat? I’m not sure, but I found the below article that discusses a study that attempts to address this. www.sightline.org/2015/01/07/a-green-light-for-using-rain-barrel-water-on-garden-edibles/ I’m sure you’ll find gardeners who will feel strongly in favor of or against use of rainwater from an asphalt roof. While general best practice guidelines do exist, I would consider checking out texas agrilife extension articles on the topic and/or reaching out to your county master gardener association for more information and then making a decision you are comfortable with

This is how👉 ru-vid.compGe47wWIxL8?si=yRDY3F15KSGwLaZF

For regular landscape plants(not eating) no treatment is necessary. You do want to ensure you’re using a dark colored barrel to avoid algae growth. For an edible garden see my previous answer to your question about asphalt roof.

Jean, the featured gardener, in this video uses her rainwater on her edible garden and does not treat the water.