Basic Guide to a Rain Garden

A rain garden and a water garden are two things. You need to find a small depression on a natural slope when looking for a location to plant a rain garden. This depression will hold the water runoff that comes from your lawn, roof, patios etc. for a short time. This will remove the majority of chemicals and nutrients from rainwater runoff and allow more water to soak into the ground.

Rainwater runoff can be a problem in many properties. Many of our properties are covered by impermeable surfaces that are unable to soak up water such as roofs, driveways etc. And when water travels along these surfaces, it can collect chemicals, garbage, oil, fertiliser, bacteria and dirt. This can be harmful when this contaminated water joins surrounding ponds and streams. It can lead to a significant degree of water pollution. You can use rain gardens to collect this runoff and filter it using the vegetation that has been planted in the depression. You can also create a rain garden on a natural slope. But first you need to remove up to a foot of soil and alter the soil condition using materials that increase the filtration of water. Some of the materials you can use are compost, tillage and sand. You need to consider the nature of the soil that already exists in the location before you decide on what you are adding.

If you experience great rainfall, it will take up to two days for the water to filter and soak in. And make sure you use native vegetation in the rain garden. There is very little maintenance required and you will not need to add any fertiliser in the first year. These can provide an aesthetically pleasing sight on your property and it is a great way of preserving local vegetation. And you will find that the rain garden attracts a lot of insects and birds to your property which can be a beautiful sight. It contributes to the important function of flood control. And you will be able to control stormwater on your property safely. The size of the garden should be decided after checking the area of the roof, driveways, pavement and patio that will be draining water into it. As a rule of thumb, you can choose a size that is 20% of the total of these draining areas. Even a small rain garden can make a big impact.

The reason that you use native vegetation in a rain garden is that they don’t need a lot of fertiliser and they are more suited to taking in water and nutrients in the native soil. Non-native plants will find this a little more difficult comparatively. Native plants tend to have good root systems and they will not need additional fertiliser. You can plant a variety of species in the rain garden such as shrubs, wildflowers and perennials. You can visit the local nursery to get an idea of native plants in your area and pick out a few beautiful varieties that will suit your backyard.