all the functions of a water barrel

Ideas please..
I have a few plastic water butts that are about 4' tall and 3' diam positioned around my garden. They are gravity fed from my water collection system. I dip into the top with a bucket or can for localised watering.
They work very well as water sources but they have other excellent qualities too- visited regularly, thermal mass, vertical structure, near water(!)
Any suggestions or ideas ? plants in or around?

thanks

As a vertical support I use water butts to grow things up- mainly a passionflower in my garden, though anything that appreciates the thermal mass would work I guess.

I also have a roof built over one of my water containers (that is in the most shady part of the garden) and grow moss on the roof (for crafts and things). The space under the (raised) containers is full of bits of wood and rocks as an amphibian hideout (so wildlife habitat).

Open-topped containers can grow water plants, think watercress or even regular lettuce on a floating raft. One of my containers that is buried in the ground houses frogs- not on purpose, they just moved in. You could possibly house fish in big enough containers.

thanks for adding to rainwater catchment, not quite upto speed with this forum stuff!
love the idea of floating rafts for eg lettuce, like hydroponic system; um nutrients?, I'll chuck a few bits of comfrey in there periodically?
Passiflora doesn't cope here, but a climber that is not too vigorous that would appreciate the temp stability is a definite.
I've been trying to get hold of some cyperus longus thought it could be held to one side so I can still dip in. Supposedly native to UK but I'm not familiar with it.
Do you have a pic of your moss roof? I'm intrigued!
Thanks

Ooooh in Leicester you're not far from me!

I don't add nutrients to my water-butts, bits get in from the roof- leaves and things, and that's good enough for lettuce! I clean a good amount of sludge out every few years!

I shall try and get you a photo of the moss-roof- it is made of a sheet of plywood with plastic sheeting on to 'waterproof' it, supported by old scaffold planks. There's some old, rather rotten bits of wood- not attached, just up there to provide purchase for bits of soil and the moss. Moss sits on top of it all, and is covered in netting and held down with bricks so that it doesn't blow off. Nothing fancy! Not a 'real' green roof or anything.

I have a water barrel as a buffer-store for watering my polytunnel. It is always being refilled by the rain, so I'm not sure how much thermal buffering it will do unfortunately. It might be worth planting a more tender plant next to it though as it could just make a difference in a cold snap.

My water barrels have a secondary function -- a water source for small birds and bees of all types.

I put in a float or a long wooden pole so they won't drown. Their favourite setup is a two-foot chunk of 2x6 in a full water barrel, providing a ramp, located under a small tree. They're in there constantly.

I haven't done it yet, but my garden chairs are giving me fits:
Mostly, they rust, the webbing goes to H-E double hockey sticks and they are starting to get e-x-p-e-n-s-i-v-e!
Since they are barrels, they could be cut halfway vertically and halfway horizontally. that would give you the L for sitting. After that, it's a matter of building a good support inside for the flat seat, maybe with a hinge for the backrest, maybe not, depending,  and putting 2 cushions, one for seating, one for backrest. The top half that gets cut could be used to make the seat waterproof by providing a 'lip' for over the edge of the seat.
As I dream it, (dreaming doesn't cost anything) either the cushion could be stored in it in case of rain/snow, or maybe some small tools, or a dining set (forks, spoons, cups, plates).
If the blue or white barrels look too drab, a good specialized paint that stick to plastic, or other fancy decorations, appliqued or stenciled could jazz it up? I have not quite figured out the matching table, but 3-4 full size barrels could be similarly decorated, and some sort of home made table top affixed over it?
Don't ask me the dimensions, but in my dream, they are perfect.

We have three water barrels which catch rain water from our roof. One great function is they divert rain water from our house’s foundation. I use the water to water my house flower gardens. But what I really love is they are my hand & veggie wash station. So handy!