Want to make your own rain garden?

Every garden needs rain to thrive.  So what is a “rain garden” exactly?    And what makes it different from a regular garden? 

A rain garden is “a planted depression that allows rainwater runoff from impervious urban areas like roofs, driveways, walkways, parking lots, and compacted lawn areas the opportunity to be absorbed."

There are a few advantages to having your own rain garden.  First, it will redirect precipitation, so that nearby storm drains don’t overflow when there’s a downpour.  As a result, your local water supply will also be cleaner, because it won’t take in as much runoff. 

Next, a rain garden is easy to maintain.  You don’t have to worry so much about watering your plants.  Instead, the set up of the garden does most of the work for you, collecting precipitation as it falls.    

Finally, it just looks nice!  A rain garden provides a splash of green in an otherwise concrete landscape. 

There are a couple things to consider, though, before making your own rain garden.  First, you can’t just plant anything that you want.  You should choose vegetation that can tolerate very wet soil for periods of time.  It’s also good to use plants native to your area, so that your rain garden blends in with the surrounding landscape. 

For directions on how to make your own rain garden, visit some of these websites:

http://www.socwa.org/nature/PDF/Rain%20Gardens.pdf

http://www.uri.edu/ce/wq/NEMO/Publications/index.htm#RainGarden

http://www.sustainability.uconn.edu/pdf/raingardenbroch.pdf

And don’t forget to check out Ace's Facebook and Flickr pages for pictures of our very own rain garden!