I was thrilled to receive my rain barrel and immediately my husband and I created the perfect area to place it. It has already paid for itself in numerous ways.Not only does it save money on my water bill as I can easily water outside gardens by attaching a hose or filling my watering can and keep my indoor greens happy, but it adds such a beautiful curbside appeal to my home! Next spring I will take advantage of the top area by planting a red hummingbird favorite plant. I get so excited talking about this rain barrel  tha twe are even considering getting a second one to place near our vegetable/fruit garden. The only weakness if you attach a hose is that you can not water higher than the level of the spigot, but to me, this is a minor issue...nothing a watering can cant handle! Value and price are excellent (trust me, I did the research).