But until it does, let’s think about how to make it greener. These tips from Daily Dose of Fiber are a good start:
Eco-Friendly Rain Tips:
1. Collect rain water in a barrel and use this water to water your garden and grass!
2. Buy an eco-friendly rain coat (check out Patagonia).
3. Buy an eco-friendly umbrella for two.
4. Turn off your sprinklers when its raining.
From my own experience, I’ve found that indoor plants especially appreciate water imported from the great outdoors. Granted those of us in NYC may have rainwater that picks up pollution, but my informal research has found no indication that it’s enough to do any harm.
QUESTION: What ways have you found to incorporate green uses to springtime’s abundant rainfall? Go ahead … gimme the dirt!
revelgardener 
Unfortunately I didn’t find out about the NYC free water barrel giveaway (a year or two ago) until some time after it was over, maybe they’ll do it again. Like most really green things, it takes a lot of green to buy them. I’ve seen barrels online at some pretty fancy prices- and then there’s shipping.
I have a tarp under my deck to keep rain off some stuff and it needs replacing. Maybe I can find a way to hang it and use the rain it collects, but that also needs a way to store the water- maybe a clean/ new garbage pail. One way, probably a last resort would be to put a small child’s swimming pool on the deck for covert collection. Don’t laugh at the covert comment, in many states it is now illegal to collect water from any water source, even rain on your own property. Tapping into the roof’s down spout is another option that would probably give more rain than I could store. At least in my case, storage is the main issue.
As for the rest, when it comes to water storage or saving water, any home owner using municipal water, especially with a lawn or garden, has at least one very good reason to conserve. TAXES. Here in New York City, where our ‘illustrious’ mayor never met a tax he didn’t like, raise- then raise again, water is getting expensive. Now that a lot, maybe all of the city has remote reading water meters we may have an interesting tool. Although when they first came out I thought they were a waste of time and money, the new meters can actually be helpful. After a quick account setup you can view water usage in various ways down to three or so readings per day. My meter was installed after last year’s growing season, but this year I will have a pretty good idea how much water goes into the garden. For small or non-gardeners, the meter can also help you see if you have leaks around the house, sinks, tubs, toilets, and the like. It won’t tell you what’s leaking but you’ll know something is and needs checking. You would be surprised how much water/ money can be wasted by leaks.
Amazing. How can collecting rain water be illegal? Wow. I watered my indoor plants today with some rainwater collected in the backyard, but I’m not gonna tell anyone. Are your banana plants still indoors? Not sure when to move them to the great outdoors. Right now, they seem pretty content where they’re at, so I’m not going to disturb them till I sense them itching to get out there. Besides, with snowstorms in Buffalo (at least threatened — I have not checked), I’m keeping everyone indoors for awhile.
I don’t think the rainwater collection is illegal here (yet), and the EPA site talking about the free rain barrel give away a while back stated they were doing it to help control storm runoff.
I have selectively put the banana plants outside already. My conclusion is that they don’t like very much direct sun. I know that’s contrary to what I always thought, and in fact it’s contrary to 2 people I’ve asked who have been around full size bananas in the tropics. Mine are almost exclusively kept indoors and get some afternoon sun from inside, mottled through trees. The sign of too much exposure is leaves drooping on both sides of the central vein. My only guess is that with enough gradual exposure the leaves will get enough dark patches that they will tolerate full sun. I won’t test that since they survive year round the way they are.