A rain barrel can be any large container designed to collect rain water. The primary purpose of a rain barrel is to provide homeowners and gardeners a source of soft, slightly acid water that is typically preferable to city water (which may be chlorinated) or well water (which may have excessive mineral content) for irrigating woody and herbaceous ornamentals, as well as lawns. 

Ten Common Plant Diseases/Disorders You Can Diagnose by Eye.

Send a plant sample for analysis by contacting the UW Plant Disease Diagnostics Clinic (PDDC), and for a small fee, clinic staff can examine a plant, determine the cause of the disease/disorder, and provide advice on how to control or prevent the issue.

Approximately three quarters of the world’s major food crops require or benefit from animal pollination.  This includes many fruits and vegetables such as strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, currants, plums, apples, sweet cherries, pears, watermelons, cantaloupes, cucumbers, squashes, and tomatoes.  Pollinators also are beneficial for seed production in crops such as carrot, onion, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and many herbs.