Rain Gardens

If you have a low spot in your yard that seems to collect water, especially after heavy rain, consider turning the area into a rain garden. Rain gardens help filter stormwater running off our roofs, patios, and driveways before it reaches our waterways. Stormwater tends to contain pollutants, such as particles of dirt, fertilizer, oils, and bacteria. By filtering through a garden of native plants, they can help remove those pollutants and sediment from the stormwater before it goes into storm drains, and then into our waterways.

Rain gardens are different from ponds and water features since most of the time they are actually dry, but collect the rainwater after a heavy rainstorm. To create a rain garden, choose an area of your yard that naturally dips, or water tends to run to when raining. An area can also be created an area by choosing a spot that will be easy to direct water to from downspouts. Once the spot is chosen, mark out the size and shape before digging to make sure you are happy with it. You will want to dig down 85 cm or deeper, depending on the size you are going with, especially if you are creating the area. Once you have dug your hole, it will now need to be filled back in with rain garden soil mix, which is a combination of compost and sand to allow for the water to be absorbed. Fill this in to 60 cm, allowing room for the plants, mulch, and water pooling. Some great plants for a rain garden include Rudbeckia hirta (black-eyed Susans), Asclepias tuberose (butterfly weed), Deschampsia cespitosa (tufted hairgrass), and Sambucus canadensis (common elderberry). These gardens also are great for butterflies, bees, and birds.