Installing a new rain barrel

We decided to add a third rain barrel to our system.  We installed two last year and love them, however, they were not convenient to the new grape arbor and gooseberry patch.  We had originally intended to install a 300 gallon tank that we got surplus to the back of the garage, but it was so ugly and impractical that we traded it for some work on the house instead.

That left us with our initial problem of no water source to the grapes. Rather then reinvent the wheel, we just bought another Algreen Cascata barrel.

The company shows the barrels installed right on the ground, however, we had problems with one of our first barrels leaning as the weight let it settle unevenly.  I decided to build platforms for each barrel to sit on.

Under the platforms I have dug out approx 6" of dirt, replaced that with coarse sand to prevent shifting.  I then add a layer of small pebbles for a nice finished look.

Each barrel can hold 65 gallons of water.  They come equipped with a front spigot or a side hose.  I want to get a small pump to use with a sprinkler in the main garden, however, for this new barrel I may just attach a soak hose along the gooseberries for a nice slow watering.

These barrels have more then proved their usefulness.  We use them for more then just plant watering.  We clean tools, cool feet, water our dogs, and more. 

For winter, we just drained them, left the spigot open, and they did just fine.