Rain gauge serves as garden’s measuring stick

This is part of a weekly feature in Home & Garden, highlighting ways residents can save water.

▪  Get a rain gauge.

OK, this passive device may not have seemed that necessary during California’s prolonged drought. But it serves as a visual reminder of just how much water your garden received during a storm. Because rainfall can vary greatly in the greater Sacramento area, a rain gauge gives you a definitive answer to how much rain fell on your garden. If you get an inch of rain from one storm or accumulated during a week, turn off outdoor irrigation for at least seven days.

For more tips, visit www.bewatersmart.info/.

Debbie Arrington

This story was originally published January 16, 2015 at 4:00 PM with the headline "Rain gauge serves as garden’s measuring stick."