Exploring the Great Rain Barrel Question

Jon Moon is a dedicated environmentalist.

That’s why he rides his bike to work. It's also why he and his wife only use the clothes dryer to fluff towels, leave the thermostat around 60 degrees in the winter and turn on the air conditioning only briefly in the summer—and only on the most brutal days "to take the edge off."

Moon leaves his grass at three inches and doesn’t water or fertilize it, as he said the longer blades encourage the grass to put down deeper roots, aid in water retention and crowd out weeds.  

Moon’s daily life involves conscious efforts to minimize his environmental impact. He’s willing to put in the extra work.

For that reason, he said, rain barrels are a great option for him. And for that same reason, they might not be such a great option for everyone.

The Moon home will be one of five stops on the  on Sunday, July 31. He'll be showing the reality of utilizing a rain barrel, both good and bad.

“I think they’re going to be a fad like the hula hoop,” Moon said, “It’s so easy to go out and buy one but it’s a lot of effort to maintain them and to figure out how to use them.”

Dianne Latham organized the Edina Eco Yard and Garden Tour and chose Moon specifically for his comprehensive knowledge of rain barrels. 

“I have known Jon Moon for years from the Conversation League of Edina and I knew he was big into these rain barrels,” Latham said. “There are a few tricks to setting them up so I thought it would be worthwhile for people.”

Moon noted that the Conservation League and Nine Mile Creek Watershed District have had classes on how to make rain barrels and on how to paint them to make them more attractive. But what is really needed, Moon said, is a class on how to use rain barrels, as they can be more work than people might expect. 

The work comes from having to hook up the rain barrel so that the water flows in and the excess goes someplace you can handle it; keeping the rain barrel clean and free of debris; setting it up so you are able to get the water someplace useful once you’ve collected it; as well as disconnecting and storing it in the winter. 

That said, the Moons have three different rain barrels at home, each capable of holding about 40 gallons of water. During most of the year, they can care for their gardens using only water from the rain barrels.

The Moons started using rain barrels five years ago and have no plans to stop anytime soon. An engineer and member of the Edina Energy and Environment Commission’s Water Quality Working Group, Moon said he enjoys tinkering with them and believes that like-minded people would enjoy it as well. It just takes a little patience. 

Moon also has a naturally occurring (or “accidental”) rain garden that fosters the growth of dogwoods, willows, cottonwoods and a variety of perennials. 

Moon will be available during the tour to answer questions about rain barrels, hydrology and what to do if you’re living in a home not designed for energy efficiency but still want to “walk the talk on sustainability.”

Visit the Moon home and four other locations during the Edina Eco Yard and Garden Tour from 1-5 p.m. on Sunday, July 31.

Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at  through 4:30 p.m. on Friday, July 29. Tickets may also be purchased the day of the tour, beginning at 12:30 p.m. for $15 at 7013 Comanche Court.

Be on the lookout for more sneak peaks of each Edina Eco Yard and Garden Tour stop before you have the opportunity to see them in person.