While chlorinated water may not hurt plants, it doesn't help them as much as rain water does. The main difference is between rain water and municipally treated water which many of us have. Rainwater is naturally "soft" (unlike well water), neutral in pH, contains almost no dissolved minerals or salts, is free of chemical treatment such as chlorine, free from disinfection by-products, free from other chemicals found in city water as well as natural and man-made contaminants that cause staining, pipe corrosion or smell. It is a relatively reliable source of water for households. Rainwater collected and used on site can supplement or replace other sources of household water. And for those who have to pay for their water, rainwater is free. "The difference is how far the raindrop travels before we drink it." Without chemical treatment, drinking water can be healthier. It is as much as 100 times softer than well water, with lower mineral content and total suspended solids. Think about water going down the sidewalk into the streets, then into the sewer. "Being the universal solvent, water absorbs contaminants and minerals on its travels to the reservoir. While in residence in the reservoir, the water can come in contact with all kinds of foreign materials: oil, animal and human wastes, chemical and pharmaceutical wastes, organic compounds, industrial outflows, and trash. It is the job of the water treatment plant to remove harmful contaminants and to kill pathogens. Unfortunately, when chlorine is used for disinfection, it also degrades into disinfection by- products, notably trihalomethanes, which may pose health risks." Rainwater is good for plants because it is free of salts and other minerals that harm root growth. "If you're harvesting rainwater with rain barrels to use for watering your landscaping, the rainwater can help to improve the health of your gardens, lawns, and trees. Rain is a naturally soft water and devoid of minerals, chlorine, fluoride, and other chemicals. For this reason, plants respond very well to rainwater. After all, it's what plants in the wild thrive on." It's easy for roots to absorb water without minerals and additives. "Rainwater harvesting can reduce the volume of storm water, thereby lessening the impact on erosion and decreasing the load on storm sewers. Decreasing storm water volume also helps keep potential storm water pollutants, such as pesticides, fertilizers, and petroleum products, out of rivers and groundwater which is causing big problems in nearly all of our natural water systems." "Since the rain water is usually collected from the roofs of houses, it picks up very little contamination when it falls. You'll of course want to keep your roof clean of debris and potential contaminants to maximize purity. The material your roof is made of is also important in how much contamination the water will carry (see Safe Rainwater Harvesting Catchments). The chemicals and hard water from many of our municipal water systems can produce an imbalance in the soil of your garden. Chemical fertilizers, fungicides, pesticides, and drought can also disrupt the balance and harmony of the soil. This imbalance causes trees and plants to weaken and makes them more susceptible to disease. Trees and plants have an efficient immune system that allows them to fend off diseases and other invaders as long as they have a healthy soil environment and aren't stressed by other factors such as drought. Trees and plants rely on fungus, bacteria, and nematodes to help them absorb the minerals and nutrients they need. Trees and plants depend on a fungal root system called mycorrhizae. Mycorrhizae attaches itself to tree and plant root hairs and extends the root hair system. Mycorrhizae uses some of the plant's energy, but provides the plant with minerals it can't otherwise absorb. In healthy soil, the mycorrhizae of one tree connects with mycorrhizae of other similar trees. When you look at your garden, visualize it as a vast interconnected community of trees, plants and tiny critters that live in the soil, all interacting and affecting each other. Thus, the type of water you use in your garden will affect the health of this intricate community." Rainbarrel Guide The Texas Manual on Rainwater Harvesting Rainwater Harvesting VIDEO: Rainwater Capture with a Rainbarrel VIDEO: Rainwater Capture on a Greenhouse (Download a free version of Quicktime to view videos.) Here is a step-by-step account of how one person built a rainwater harvesting system to beat those hot Texas summers and kept their garden green.

I looked at the pictures pretty closely and it appears the water is returning through rigid transparent pipe. My reasons are the total lack of water droplets in the air and the very low level of splash in the pond. That is going to be a problem for you. Problem 1. The pipe is likely made for that company by some manufacturer out there and it would be protected by a patent along with any connectors. Problem 2. I am guessing but the input end of the tubing would have to be sunk in concrete or similar weighty substance to avoid having it fall into or across the pond. You might notice the far end of all those arching pipes are hidden by a stone mass. The force of the water flowing through the pipe adds to the problem of a securely anchored base. Problem 3. Transparent tubing grows algae really fast. It would be blocked and really ugly really fast unless the water was loaded with chlorine or some other algaecide. Keeping it clean would be an ongoing task. Problem 4. Re Problem 3: You might have a pond free of algae but any splash is going to kill some plants around the pond if you need that much chemical. Problem 5. The 2 foot width of the pond is going to require the output end of the tubing be very close to the surface of the water to prevent water loss from splashing. It may be so close you will lose the aesthetic you want. On the other hand, maybe my observations are all wrong. You might want to do a little more research. A smaller water arch coming from the ends of a shorter pond might be doable. Sandy

lavenderlvr: Those are Blue Angel. While Theresa's Angel Garden isn't named for them, what better hostas to feature than the "Angel Complex"! By next spring I will be replacing the Frances Williams with Guardian Angel which is now growing up a little in a new (in process) garden. I like the idea of the urn surrounded by "Angels". Even the Krossa Regal and Regal Splendor currently behind it could be replaced by other Angels, but I am not sure. I like the upright shape of the KR complex of hostas to give elevation in the rear. HINT, if you didn't already know this: If you want a really great looking blue hosta in a giddy-up, Blue Angel is your baby! Steve, I haven't quite made up my mind yet on the urn. When I do will probably be purchasing it from Hallson if Chris has it in stock. I haven't ordered on-line since I've not been home to receive plants properly. I really appreciate the input and think I might open another thread regarding peeps ideas of what to put in the urn. But you are right Steve (you usually are)! After I took the photo yesterday and looked back with the eyes of a critic I too realized the need for a yellow eye-catcher. Too bad none of the Blue Angel progeny are upright and yellow. If there is any other that would fit into the Angel theme anyone thinks of, post them here in the meantime. Don, do you have a list of yellow angels? Thanks all. Les

No, not sure they're Bradford Pears at all. Just know they're beautiful when they bloom. I don't notice any scent at all. They have some sticky sap in the spring that gets on cars and small hard round green fruits that the birds eat. The leaves turn red in the fall. They do drop twigs a lot but the gardeners/maintenance folks have to deal with those. I'll send out a pear bloom alert this spring when they bloom. Thanks for the comments on my gardens. I really do enjoy them. So much easier than planting stuff in the ground. Best thing I did was have Lowes deliver 10 big bags of potting soil and three half-barrels. Those are what the Elephant Ears are in. That really helped me expand. Plus people leave me orphaned pots and plants when they move. I find them on my doorstep with a note. I'll give you a link to the cookie recipe I used for the swap. I couldn't find the one I had originally -- it's a newspaper cutting stuck in a book somewhere -- but this is similar. Do use the foil cupcake things. The paper ones stick. And real butter. They stay rounder if you bake them in muffin tins. I just used the foil cups on a baking sheet and they got sort of freeform. They are good. Here is a link that might be useful: Chocolate Chip Cookie Cupcakes