Photo by Kevin Hogarth
A water-conserving garden
Thirsting for ways to conserve and recycle, a Saskatoon family makes the most of rainwater with a homemade barrel system
A perfect day for husband and wife Don and Frieda Gesiorowski is spent deadheading, weeding and watering in their delightful Saskatoon garden. Nearby, daughters Mikaela, 8, and Erin, 7, tend their respective plots of fresh vegetables, and hunt for the first crocuses (or dandelions) of the year to pick for mom and dad. A family of mallards is enjoying the five-star pond. And the perennial beds are vibrant thanks to healthy doses of thirst-quenching rainwater collected in the family’s homemade rain-barrel system.
Spending time in the garden allows the Gesiorowskis to “be closer to God’s creations,” as Don puts it. They wanted their daughters to respect nature, so in addition to giving them their own four-foot-square raised beds, Don and Frieda taught them not to be afraid of critters and insects. The girls learned to dig for worms and also eventually discovered that bees wouldn’t hurt them if they stand very still.
This celebration of nature underlies the Gesiorowskis’ mutual gardening passion. Getting back to nature by gardening, and being green, go hand in hand, says Don. Hence the theme behind their 110-by-110-foot backyard—“reuse and recycle”—exemplified in their “Water Shed” system, a figurative and literal way of collecting rainfall.
“We wanted to conserve water and save on our water bill,” says Frieda. “The loss into the street drains is incredible,” adds Don, noting that “for every inch of rain that falls into the house eavestroughs, 10 barrels of rainwater could be collected.” So Don built his own rainwater collection system, starting with an old 300-gallon water barrel he got from a friend. He then built a barn-like shed around it using reclaimed wood from a dilapidated granary.
When it rains, water from a front eavestrough drains into the barrel. Inside, a submersible pump sends the water through an underground pipe to a hose and valve attached to a decorative six-by-six-inch wood post located in
the shrubbery at the front of the house. This rainwater is used to hand-water perennial beds and pots.
The couple also picked up another three 45-gallon barrels from an old factory for $3 each, and created an additional collection system that is not connected to the pump. The family hand-scoops water from the barrels for the children’s gardens and containers in the backyard. Just one-tenth of an inch of rainfall fills one barrel. The Gesiorowskis insist their plants flourish in the soft, chlorine-free water. “Rainwater is so much better for plants. For one thing, the water is always air temperature,” says Frieda.
Building on their recycling theme, the couple hauled stones from farmers’ fields to build a picturesque 750-gallon pond, complete with three small waterfalls and koi, in their backyard. Similarly, the pathway leading to the sitting area under a pergola is made of brick reclaimed from a demolished school. Once the remaining bits of mortar were chipped off, the bricks were laid in a herringbone pattern. Now, “moss is growing between them, giving us a country garden look,” says Frieda.
For Don, gardening is a stress reliever: he loves the simplicity of nature. “You take care of a plant and watch it grow. If it dies, well, there’s a reason and you find out why.” He says Frieda pushes their Zone 2b limits with thriving Zone 5 plants, including holly and variegated sedge. “When it lives, it’s really rewarding to be able to say, wow, we can grow this here,” he adds.
Being able to express creativity with living things, while staying true to an innate “of the earth, for the earth” philosophy, results in an especially rewarding backyard retreat. “Going out to the garden feels peaceful,” says Frieda. “There’s a serenity about it and I can appreciate creation and find solace after a stressful day.”
**Tips for building your own "Water Shed"**
* **Position the rain barrels** to make sure water flows away from the house. “You want to protect your home’s foundation from potential overflow,” explains Don.
* **Attach rain barrels** to each other by inserting the hoses at the top, not the bottom. This way, the first has to fill up before water travels through the hose into the next one. Otherwise, they fill at the same time more slowly, making it harder for the water to pump out.
* **Don’t spend a lot of money.** The Gesiorowskis got their barrels from an old meat-packing plant going out of business. “Look for factories and businesses that may be trying to clear out barrels,” says Frieda.
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