Rain may irritate you by altering your plans, making it tough to drive and murdering your iPhone, but you can also twist nature’s sprinkler system to your advantage. Harvesting rainwater allows you to save on utility bills and lessen your environmental footprint.

Sunset offers a primer on a way to funnel rainwater into a garden.

To make a “rain garden,” you’ll need a basin and a system to carry rainwater from the roof through a buried pipe to a basin 10 feet or more away from your home. You can plant water-tolerant plants in the basin that you won’t have to worry about watering.

For more tips on how to harvest rain, visit harvesth2o.

How to catch, store, and use rainwater [Sunset]

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.