Did you know that with little more than a shovel, a few square feet of your yard, and some plants, you can combat flooding, replenish groundwater, improve water quality, and benefit the local ecosystem? Itโ€™s not magic โ€” itโ€™s a rain garden!

Rain gardens are shallow, planted depressions that collect runoff from roofs, parking lots, driveways, and even lawnsโ€”anyplace where water has a hard time soaking in. Development increases runoff, leading to faster, higher stream flows and more frequent flooding. Rain gardens help by holding water, decreasing stream flow, and allowing water to soak in and recharge groundwater.

kAm#F?@77 2=D@ 42CC:6D A@==FE2?ED 7C@> E96 8C@F?5 DFC7246 E@ DEC62>D] #2:? 82C56?D :>AC@G6 H2E6C BF2=:EJ 3J EC2AA:?8 D65:>6?E[ 3C62<:?8 5@H? A@==FE2?ED[ 2?5 7:=E6C:?8 @FE 92C>7F= 496>:42=D 2?5 A2E9@86?D] pD 2? 25565 36?67:E[ C2:? 82C56?D 2=D@ DFAA@CE ?2E:G6 A@==:?2E@CD 2?5 3:C5D 2?5 362FE:7J @FC J2C5D]k^Am

kAm$E2CE J@FC C2:? 82C56? 3J 42C67F==J D6=64E:?8 2 =@42E:@?] pG@:5 D6AE:4 DJDE6>D[ C6D:56?E:2= H2E6C H6==D[ 2?5 3FC:65 FE:=:E:6D[ 2?5 =@42E6 E96 C2:? 82C56? 2E =62DE E6? 766E 7C@> 3F:=5:?8 7@F?52E:@?D] p=D@[ 2G@:5 DH2>AJ A2CED @7 E96 J2C5] #2:? 82C56?D D9@F=5 5C2:? 4@>A=6E6=J H:E9:? ac E@ cg 9@FCD @7 2 C2:?72== 6G6?E E@ 2G@:5 AC@3=6>D H:E9 >@DBF:E@6D]k^Am

kAm%@ E6DE D@:= 5C2:?286[ 5:8 2 9@=6 e E@ g :?496D 566A 2?5 7:== :E H:E9 H2E6C] x7 E96 H2E6C 5C2:?D ๐Ÿ˜• @?6 E@ D:I 9@FCD[ J@Fโ€™G6 7@F?5 2 8C62E DA@EP x7 :E E2<6D D:I E@ 6:89E66? 9@FCD[ E96 =@42E:@? >2J C6BF:C6 5:88:?8 566A6C 2?5 4@>A@DE:?8 E96 D@:=] x7 H2E6C C6>2:?D 27E6C `g 9@FCD[ ECJ 2?@E96C =@42E:@? H:E9 36EE6C 5C2:?286]k^Am

kAm$:E6 E96 C2:? 82C56? H96C6 :E 42? 62D:=J 4@==64E CF?@77[ DF49 2D 5@H?9:== @7 5C:G6H2JD 2?5 8FEE6C 5@H?DA@FED] p:> 7@C 2? 2C62 E92E ๐Ÿ˜€ 7=2E E@ 86?E=J D=@A:?8] $E66A6C D=@A6D 6?4@FC286 72DE6C H2E6C 7=@H[ H9:49 42? 42FD6 6C@D:@? AC@3=6>D]k^Am

kAm%96 36DE D:K6 7@C J@FC C2:? 82C56? 56A6?5D @? E96 2C62 WC@@7[ 5C:G6H2J[ =2H?X E92E 5C2:?D E@ :E] %CJ D62C49 E6C>D DF49 2D โ€œC2:? 82C56? D:K6 42=4F=2E@Cโ€ ๐Ÿ˜• J@FC 72G@C:E6 3C@HD6C E@ 7:?5 96=A7F= @?=:?6 42=4F=2E@CD]k^Am

kAm~?46 J@Fโ€™G6 564:565 @? =@42E:@? 2?5 D:K6[ C64CF:E D@>6 96=A 2?5 DE2CE 5:88:?8P #6>@G6 EFC7 7:CDE] %96 3@EE@> @7 E96 6I42G2E:@? D9@F=5 36 7=2E 2?5 23@FE d E@ g :?496D 566A[ H:E9 D:56D D=@A65 86?E=J 7@C D276 2446DD 2?5 62DJ A=2?E:?8] x7 E96 C2:? 82C56? ๐Ÿ˜€ @? 2 D=@A6[ FD6 E96 6I42G2E65 D@:= E@ 4C62E6 2 36C> 2=@?8 E96 =@H D:56 E@ 9@=5 H2E6C]k^Am

kAms:C64E H2E6C E@ E96 82C56? H:E9 2 DH2=6 @C 5@H?DA@FE 6IE6?56C] (2E6C 4@?46?EC2E65 ๐Ÿ˜• 2 5@H?DA@FE >2J 7=@H BF:4<=J[ D@ C6:?7@C46 E96 :?7=@H 2C62 H:E9 4@33=6D @C D9C65565 92C5H@@5 >F=49] !C@=@?865 @C :?E6?D6 C2:?72== >2J 2=D@ @G6C7=@H E96 C2:? 82C56?[ D@ @FE=6ED D9@F=5 36 =@42E65 42C67F==J 2?5 C6:?7@C465 E@ C65F46 6C@D:@?] p b\:?49 =2J6C @7 >F=49 @G6C E96 6?E:C6 82C56? 96=AD C65F46 H665D 2?5 C6E2:?D >@:DEFC6 F?E:= E96 82C56? ๐Ÿ˜€ 6DE23=:D965]k^Am

kAm}@H 4@>6D E96 7F? A2CE โ€“ A=2?E:?8P #2:? 82C56?D ?665 A=2?ED E92E =:<6 5CJ E@6D 2C@F?5 E96 6586D[ A=2?ED E92E =:<6 E6>A@C2C:=J H6E E@6D 7@C E96 46?E6C[ 2?5 A=2?ED E92E 42? E@=6C2E6 3@E9 H6E 2?5 5CJ 4@?5:E:@?D 7@C E96 D=@A65 D:56D] (96? AFC492D:?8 A=2?ED[ 4@?D:56C A=2?E 96:89E[ 3=@@> E:>6[ 4@=@C[ E6IEFC6[ D62D@?2= :?E6C6DE[ 2?:>2= C6D:DE2?46[ 2?5 H96E96C E96J 2C6 ?2E:G6D] !6?? $E2E6 tIE6?D:@? 2?5 @E96C F?:G6CD:EJ H63D:E6D 92G6 C2:? 82C56? 56D:8?D 2?5 A=2?E C64@>>6?52E:@?D]k^Am

kAm!=2? E@ AFC492D6 >@C6 A=2?ED E92? J@F H@F=5 7@C 2 C68F=2C 82C56? 2?5 DA246 E96> >@C6 4=@D6=J] %9:D 96=AD E96 82C56? 7:== ๐Ÿ˜• >@C6 BF:4<=J 2?5 D9256 @FE H665D] !=2?E ๐Ÿ˜• @55\?F>36C65 8C@FAD[ <66A:?8 ๐Ÿ˜• >:?5 E92E =2C86 5C:7ED @7 E96 D2>6 A=2?E >2<6 =:76 62D:6C 7@C A@==:?2E@CD] $:>A=6C A=2?E:?8D 2=D@ >2<6 :E 62D:6C E@ :56?E:7J 2?5 C6>@G6 H665DPk^Am

kAm~?46 A=2?E65[ E96 82C56? ?665D A6C:@5:4 >2:?E6?2?46 DF49 2D H2E6C:?8 5FC:?8 5CJ A6C:@5D 2?5 H665:?8[ 6DA64:2==J 2D A=2?ED 86E 6DE23=:D965] #6>@G6 =627 =:EE6C 2?5 @E96C >2E6C:2= 3=@4<:?8 :?7=@HD 2?5 @FE=6ED] %@ DFAA@CE ?2E:G6 3:C5D 2?5 A@==:?2E@CD[ =62G6 A=2?E >2E6C:2= ๐Ÿ˜• A=246 F?E:= =2E6 DAC:?8[ H96? D665D 92G6 366? 4@?DF>65 2?5 :?D64ED E92E @G6CH:?E6C ๐Ÿ˜• DE6>D 2?5 =627 =:EE6C 92G6 6>6C865]k^Am

kAm{2DE[ 3FE ?@E =62DE[ D:E 324< 2?5 6?;@J E96 362FEJ J@Fโ€™G6 25565 E@ J@FC J2C5[ E96 923:E2E J@Fโ€™G6 25565 E@ E96 64@DJDE6>[ 2?5 E96 H2E6C C6D@FC46 36?67:ED @7 J@FC ?6H C2:? 82C56?]k^Am

kAmy6? (9:D?6C 92D 366? 9@@<65 @? 82C56?:?8 D:?46 E96 E6?56C 286 @7 E9C66[ H96? D96 96=A65 D2>A=6 36CC:6D ๐Ÿ˜• 96C A2C6?EDโ€™ 3246?E2= D4:6?46 4@FCD6D 2E r@>>@?H62=E9 &?:G6CD:EJโ€™D q=@@>D3FC8 42>AFD 3J 52J 2?5 5:D4@G6C:?8 ECF=J 566C\C6D:DE2?E A=2?ED ๐Ÿ˜• 96C DA2C6 E:>6]r@>6 E@ q6CH:4< x??@G2E:@? r6?E6C[ `bc (] uC@?E $E][ q6CH:4< 7@C 2 7C66[ :?\A6CD@? AC6D6?E2E:@? @? (65?6D52J 6G6?:?8[ ei__ E@ fib_[ pF8FDE a_] |2CJ y@ #] v:3D@?[ !6?? $E2E6 |2DE6C v2C56?6C[ H:== D92C6 96C @H=6586 @? โ€œwJ5C2?862Di (9J s@6D?โ€™E :E q=@@>nโ€pC6 J@F :?E6C6DE65 ๐Ÿ˜• 364@>:?8 2 |2DE6C v2C56?6C G@=F?E66C ๐Ÿ˜• r@=F>3:2[ |@?E@FC[ @C }@CE9F>36C=2?5 r@F?EJn ~FC |66E E96 |2DE6C v2C56?6CD :?7@C>2E:G6 AC6D6?E2E:@? ๐Ÿ˜€ 2? :?\A6CD@? 6G6?E @? %9FCD52J[ pF8FDE a`[ 2E ei__ A]>] 2E E96 |@?E@FC r@F?EJ p5>:?:DEC2E:@? r6?E6C 2E cbd uC@?E $EC66E[ s2?G:==6]k^Am

Comments are closed.

Pin