Rain Garden Design I
Ninebark shrubs have some interesting cultivars to play with in the rain garden design including the chartreuse leaves of nugget and the moody purple foliage of diablo spicebush named for its aromatic foliage will draw swallowtail butterflies which use it as a host plant.
Rain garden design i. Learn more about rain gardens plus find two rain garden plants lists and designs featuring plants for both sun and shade. Crescent or kidney shapes are attractive. Use a mix of plants adapted to your area and to the different water depths.
The depression slows stormwater runoff catching cooling and absorbing it into the earth. As a bonus many plants suited to a rain garden are natives which attract local pollinators. An oakleaf hydrangea will thrive in a rain garden while providing three seasons of interest.
A long narrow rain garden may be better if you re placing it between structures such as a house and sidewalk. Create the rain garden by building a berm in a low spot in the yard then build swales to channel runoff from the gutters and higher parts of the yard. With a rain garden use don t lose the torrent of rain water that falls on your paved areas and roof.
Information on siting and sizing a rain garden design installation and long and short term maintenance. 1 what is a rain garden. Rain garden instructions normally suggest making it between 4 inches and 10 inches deep.
A key feature of eco friendly landscape design rain gardens also known as bio infiltration basins are gaining credibility and converts as an important solution to stormwater runoff and pollution. Rain gardens can be designed in any shape. 2 rain gardens and sustainability 3 design considerations 4 installation 5 challenges 6 additional resources rain gardens are landscape features usually emphasizing native plantings that are designed to capture storm water runoff and allow it to filter into the soil.
The next step in rain garden design is to dig out your rain garden. The size of your rain garden is entirely up to you but the larger a rain garden is the more runoff water it can hold and the more space for different rain garden plants you will have. The water is then absorbed into the soil through the network of deep plant roots.