Archimedes of Syracuse was an ancient Greek mathematician, physicist, engineer, and inventor whose principle of water displacement inspired the design of the World’s Coolest Rain Gauge®. He wrote about the discovery in his famous work On Floating Bodies — and more than 2,000 years later, here we are, still having fun watching things float in water.

Archimedes Backyard: Resources For The Modern Gardener

watering can on short turf grass

Dormant or Dead Grass? How to Tell the Differen...

Brown grass doesn't always mean a dead lawn. Learn how to tell the difference between dormant and dead grass, when to water, and how to help your lawn recover after...

Dormant or Dead Grass? How to Tell the Differen...

Brown grass doesn't always mean a dead lawn. Learn how to tell the difference between dormant and dead grass, when to water, and how to help your lawn recover after...

hands in healthy soil

The Soil Sponge Effect: Why Healthy Soil Holds ...

Why do some gardens stay moist for days after rain while others dry out almost immediately? The answer often lies beneath the surface in what soil scientists call the soil...

The Soil Sponge Effect: Why Healthy Soil Holds ...

Why do some gardens stay moist for days after rain while others dry out almost immediately? The answer often lies beneath the surface in what soil scientists call the soil...

hose end sprayer applying water

Why Is My Soil Not Absorbing Water? Causes of R...

If water beads on the surface, runs off your garden beds, or disappears without soaking into the root zone, your soil may be struggling with more than simple dryness. Hydrophobic...

Why Is My Soil Not Absorbing Water? Causes of R...

If water beads on the surface, runs off your garden beds, or disappears without soaking into the root zone, your soil may be struggling with more than simple dryness. Hydrophobic...

weather app on computer

Why Your Rain Gauge Doesn't Match Your Weather App

Rainfall often varies dramatically over surprisingly short distances. Learn why your rain gauge may show a very different number than your weather app and why local measurements matter more for...

Why Your Rain Gauge Doesn't Match Your Weather App

Rainfall often varies dramatically over surprisingly short distances. Learn why your rain gauge may show a very different number than your weather app and why local measurements matter more for...

watering can and rain boots in daisy field

How Plant Water Needs Change Throughout the Gro...

Plants don't need the same amount of water all season long. Learn how water requirements change from spring through fall, why fixed watering schedules often fail, and how measuring rainfall...

How Plant Water Needs Change Throughout the Gro...

Plants don't need the same amount of water all season long. Learn how water requirements change from spring through fall, why fixed watering schedules often fail, and how measuring rainfall...

casual backyard

How Rainfall Affects Birds, Pollinators, and Ba...

Rainfall affects far more than watering schedules. Birds, pollinators, soil organisms, native plants, and backyard wildlife all respond to changing moisture levels throughout the seasons. Tracking rainfall can reveal surprising...

How Rainfall Affects Birds, Pollinators, and Ba...

Rainfall affects far more than watering schedules. Birds, pollinators, soil organisms, native plants, and backyard wildlife all respond to changing moisture levels throughout the seasons. Tracking rainfall can reveal surprising...