Rain Barrel Soaker Hose was designed for just such a use.
http://www.rainbarrelsoakerhos...

Greene -- thank you so much for the post about the rain barrel soaker hose! I had never heard of that either, and have tried using "regular" soaker hose with little to no success... and for some reason, never thought to Google "rain barrel soaker hose," either! How "elevated" do you have your rain barrels?

This would be SO time saving for me!!!

Elevation appx 2.5 - 3 feet on a base of concrete blocks near the house; the area to be watered is appx 8 inches lower.

May I just add here a negative comment about Systern Rain Barrel by Norseman plastics.
Bought two of them at two different times, two different houses, both barrels cracked in exactly the same place when only 1/3 full.
Design flaw? Faulty mold? I don't know, I am not an engineer or a mold maker, but I won't buy a third one.

Ah, this is just why I joined this page, and why I asked the question. The information given, the spirit of the information gives... even the specifics. I thank you all.
I do understand drip irrigation and that's where I am going. The rain barrel soaker will really work well in our foggy rainy environment and I had never heard of them. The rest is simple, pull the mulch back, plant table scraps, install teh drip, and kick back with a stoggie and a good brew. Life is good, you have made it much better... and ya all have my thanks. Mike

Hi Mike,

I'm just down the bay from you & have the same concerns about wasting water. Since we're selling our house next spring, I don't want to invest a lot of $ in permanent irrigation, but I have a BIG garden (by Bay Area standards)...

I've hooked several hoses up to a single spigot with a divider attached (don't know the official name). Since I added some plants around the edges of the garden last fall, so they need more frequent water. I built a basin around the plant with compost to contain the water & water with a bubbler attached to the hoses. It's a bit labor intensive, moving the hoses, but when I'm out in the yard anyway, it's not a problem. I simply water a few plants a day, before I leave for work. I water the established beds with a variety of sprinklers, so I don't waste water, again with several hoses, so it doesn't take as long - most of the beds only need once a week water, unless we have a heat wave, like last week. I've dealt with the weed problem by laying cardboard or paper (newspaper or paper bags from fertilizer, compost, etc.) under the mulch - the worms love the cardboard/paper & I feeding the soil, while containing the weeds.

Just my make-shift solution... :-)

Liz

Some issues are best tackled with a multi-pronged approach, and need to fit the style and budget, climate of each gardener. Lots of great prongs from which to choose here, like a well-stocked tool box. I feel much more educated also even though I also offered advice. I nominate this discussion for a 'sticky' but have no idea what the protocol for that is.

I think someone would ask the moderator.

However, it's a prime opportunity for someone to collect acorns by writing an article ("Tip"? "Idea"?)

Just pick out the text that you think is most on-topic, tidy it up a bit, and then find a photo or two. Find a few links to include for "further reading". Maybe give credit to the original posters, but as Tom Lehrer said, you can always "call it r-r-r-r research".

I personally think that articles are nicer than stickies because they are easier to search for, much more concise and hence easier to read than a chatty thread, and they pop up in the "Random Ideas" spot.

And, if you present one particular view of the subject, you're bound to stimulate replies that double or triple the amount of information that any one point of view could encompass.

Plus, articles don't take up space in the forum's main page.

I tend to ignore stickies but I always read the articles. I agree with @RickCorey; please consider putting all the information you have gathered into an article.

Someone asked for photos of my garden, so here it is...

Whew! After all that work you deserve a rest. Good job on all the beds.
Thanks for sharing all the pics. Reserve the chair near the grill for me!

You have a lot going on there, Mike ! Thanks for sharing the pics, I love looking at everyone's gardens. (the only thing here that looks that lush right now is the weeds in my perennial bed )

@putitupmike, looking at the last photo of you relaxing with your dog, please what is that tall yellow flowering plant behind the fence and left of center in the photo? That one is a stunner.

Greene, wonderful video, thanks. I have no idea what the yellow plant might be and neither does the neighbor who grew it.