Native Plants
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
rate this answer
Tuesday - November 25, 2008
From: Waco, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Best of Smarty, Rainwater Harvesting
Title: Information about rainwater collection systems
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
I am wanting to design and install a rainwater collection system, and would like recommendations on suppliers, how to operate, detailed info on construction, capacity and pumping. Any info you can provide is much appreciated. Thanks.ANSWER:
First, for a general overview of rainwater collections systems, let me refer you to our How to Article, "Rainwater Harvesting".
The Texas Water Development Board has an excellent online publication. "The Texas Manual on Rainwater Harvesting", with information about rainwater harvesting system components, water quality and treatment, cost estimation and financial incentives. From the manual: "The scope of this manual is to serve as a primer in the basics of residential and small-scale commercial rainwater harvesting systems design."
For an easy-to-read book filled with useful, practical information about rainwater collection and constructing collection systems in the Hill Country of Texas, find a copy of Rainwater Collection for the Mechanically Challenged by Suzy Banks with Richard Heinichen.
The City of Austin also has a Rainwater Harvesting article in their online publication, "Sustainable Building Sourcebook" and also have links to other information, including "Rainwater Harvesting Suppliers" on their Water Conservation page.
More Best of Smarty Questions
Help! The deer are eating my landscape.
March 14, 2004 - Help! The deer are eating my landscape. Is there anything I can plant that they won’t eat?
view the full question and answer
Plant identification of tree on Kent State University in Ohio
August 09, 2011 - Hello. I am fond of a very large (wide) tree on a university campus in Ohio. I have tried many plant ID search engines to try to figure out what it is. It is at least 12 feet tall and at least that ...
view the full question and answer
Native plants that will grow under alleopathic black walnut
March 03, 2007 - I have a large, beautiful black walnut tree in my yard and have trouble growing the annuals, begonia, impatients, etc., that I have always grown. They don't do well in the ground and I have resorted...
view the full question and answer
Smell barrier around chicken pen in Austin
April 23, 2011 - What are some shade to part-shade loving, aromatic plants (akin to Lavender or Jasmine) that will do well in Central TX? I'm trying to plant things around my chicken pen that'll create a smell barri...
view the full question and answer
Pot on a pillar in a pond in Pflugerville
April 26, 2010 - No question: Just a thanks to Barbara. You can't imagine how hard I laughed when I read the interpretation that I was going to plant Maximilians in a pot on a pedestal in the middle of a pond!!! S...
view the full question and answer
| Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |