RainGarden

[ Up ] [ Conservation Links ] [ Rain Gardens ]
RAIN GARDENS Rain gardens catch runoff from parking areas, driveways, walkways and roofs, allowing stormwater to slowly filter into the soil rather than flow directly into storm drains, ponds or lakes. This allows 30% more water to soak into the ground and recharge our underground water supplies. It also reduces the amount of polluted runoff entering our waterways.

NepRWA RAIN GARDEN DEMONSTRATION
The NepRWA Rain Garden was designed to be a functional infiltration system that would also educate people about how to return rainwater to the groundwater system. We hope that you will consider creating a rain garden in your own yard! Below is a list of the plants that we used in the NepRWA rain garden, as well as information about soil amendments. You will also find steps toward building your own rain garden.
	Herbaceous Plant List Osmunda regalis, Royal fern Adiantum pedatum, Maidenhair fern Lobelia cardinalis, Cardinal flower Tiarella cordifolia, Foamflower Dicentra eximia, Fringed bleeding heart Polygonatum falcatum, Dwarf Solomon's seal Asclepias tuberosa, Butterfly weed Aquilegia canadensis, Columbine Panicum virgatum, Switchgrass Matteuccia struthiopteris, Ostrich fern
Woody Plant List Clethra alnifolia, Summersweet clethra Cornus sericea (stolonifera), Red-osier dogwood Vaccinium corymbosum, Highbush blueberry Ilex glabra 'Compacta,' Compact inkberry holly Ilex verticilatta, Winterberry (various types, incl. Red sprite) Leucothoe fontanesiana, Drooping leucothoe
Soil Amendments NepRWA used a mixture of topsoil, farm compost and lightweight stone aggregate in the garden to promote root growth and infiltration of water. In this way, most rainwater runoff will recharge the local groundwater and nourish the rain garden's root system. This mixture also ensures that the soil in the rain garden holds water for no longer than 72 hours.
HOW TO BUILD A RAIN GARDEN:
	Location: Find a lawn area with a slope between 1% and 10% that is more than 10 feet away from any building foundations. You may have to re-direct a down-spout towards your garden to ensure that your plants will receive sufficient water. The downspout should end four feet from the outside edge of the garden.
	Size: The garden should be 1/3 the size of the surface area providing the runoff.
	Depth: Make a depression 6 to 18 inches deep, throughout the area of the garden.
	Plants: Ideally, plant at least 15 species of plants at a density of 1 plant per square foot. As the rain garden matures, thin the population of some of the plants to allow others to grow. When planting, put the tallest flowers and shrubs in the deepest part of the swale. For information on specific plant and shrub options for your soil and weather conditions, visit www.mninter.net/%7estack/rain
	Maintenance: In the weeks following planting, you may want to hoe dandelions and other weeds until the mature garden plants crowd them out. Also, during the first year, your rain garden will require monthly weeding during the growing season. In subsequent years, it will only be necessary to weed once per year. Shrubs should be pruned annually. During extremely dry periods it may also be necessary to water several times per week.
TIPS The addition of peat moss or compost increases the soil's ability to hold water. In case of a large rain storm, it is important to provide a way for excess water to drain out of the garden in order to prevent flooding of your garden. To increase the number of songbirds and butterflies present, incorporate berry- and nectar-producing plants. Leave the dead or dormant plants standing over the winter. Many of these plants will provide seeds and shelter for birds. In the spring, cut-back or mow the plant stalks to allow new shoots to emerge.
For more information: Rain Gardens 'Cut City Pollution' (BBC, 2006) Rain Gardens by Karen Cozzetto. Conscious Choice, May 2001 Rain Gardens: Gardening with Water Quality in Mind Learn more about maintaining your yard in an ecologically-friendly way. See this, too. Reduce polluted runoff! (NEMO)
NepRWA would like to thank the following companies for their generous contributions towards this rain garden: Read Custom Soils, a division of Will Sand / Canton Gold Star Whole sale Nurseries, Lexington, MA