A rain garden is an engineered landscape feature that utilizes rain, stormwater, and melting snow by collecting and temporarily storing runoff from eavestroughs, lawns, driveways, and walkways.
Conditions for a Rain Garden.
This garden’s design and plant selection are essential for its success. Designed as a compact haven, it thrives in conditions of excessive moisture and elevated levels of nutrients—particularly nitrogen and phosphorus—from stormwater runoff. This thoughtful approach not only beautifies a yard but also addresses environmental challenges.
Why Should You Consider a Rain Garden?
Rain gardens help manage stormwater runoff, which can contribute to flooding in and around homes. They increase the amount of water that filters into the ground, recharging local aquifers. Additionally, rain gardens protect streams and lakes from pollutants such as lawn fertilizers, pesticides, oil, and fluids that leak from cars, as well as harmful substances that wash off roofs and paved areas. Furthermore, they enhance the beauty of yards and neighbourhoods.
By creating a rain garden, you can contribute to cleaner water in your community!
When to Install a Rain Garden!
If you are experiencing drainage and erosion issues, or if you have disconnected your downspouts and notice wet areas around the foundation of your home, consider the following guidelines:
- Ensure that any new drainage features are installed at least 10 feet away from your house.
- Take advantage of any slope or grading changes in your yard.
- Create a space that attracts butterflies, birds, and pollinators
- Enjoy the benefits of lower water bills and reduced grass cutting.
Selecting the right plants is crucial!
- Plants need to be resilient enough to endure both flooding in the spring and drought conditions during the summer.
- To foster a healthy garden, it’s essential to avoid overcrowding; aim to plant one specimen for every 10 to 15 square feet, allowing each plant ample space to thrive.
- Consider incorporating vertical layering into your design by harmonizing tall, medium, and low-growing plants. This approach adds depth and visual interest to your landscape. Plus, many of the plants selected for a rain garden attract birds, butterflies, and beneficial insects.
- If you’re selecting plants for the front yard, prioritize those that exhibit salt tolerance, ensuring they can endure the challenges of roadside environments.
Exploring Native Plants for Your Rain Garden.
Choose Some Native Deciduous Trees and Beautiful Flowering Shrubs for Your Rain Garden!
The Kentucky coffee tree, northern red oak, and river birch are exquisite deciduous trees that thrive in a rain garden. The Kentucky coffee tree, with its distinctive, curved trunk and lush foliage, offers both shade and a striking visual element. The stately northern red oak has brilliant red foliage in the fall, providing a stunning contrast to the vibrant greens of summer. Meanwhile, the river birch is characterized by its beautiful peeling bark and graceful branches. These trees make them ideal choices for enhancing a rain garden.
Native shrubs provide a vibrant palette of color, intriguing textures, and delightful blooms, making them perfect additions to any rain garden. Consider incorporating the elegant serviceberry, with its delicate white flowers and sweet berries, or the fragrant witch hazel, known for its striking yellow blooms in late winter. The evergreen winterberry and inkberry offer lush green foliage year-round, while the graceful willow and its charming pussy willow cousin bring a soft, inviting presence.
For a burst of seasonal fruit, look to blueberries and chokeberry, both of which not only attract wildlife but also add delicious flavor to your garden. The cheerful St. John’s wort and the resilient lowbush honeysuckle add a splash of brightness. For structure, the vivid red twig dogwood and the versatile arrowwood present eye-catching features, while the snowberry, with its unique white berries, and buttonbush, adored by pollinators, create a dynamic landscape.
Don’t forget the elderberry, renowned for its clusters of tiny white flowers and edible fruits, alongside the sweetly fragrant summersweet. Finally, the swamp rose introduces an enchanting touch with its lovely blooms, contributing to the rich tapestry of life flourishing in your rain garden. Each of these shrubs brings its own charm, creating a haven for both beauty and biodiversity.
Choose a Spectacular Array of Native Plants, Perfectly Suited for a Sunny or Shaded Rain Garden.
A diverse variety of native ferns unfurls gracefully in a shaded rain garden, complemented by the lush green hues of native sedges.
Native savannah grasses, including the striking little bluestem, the towering big bluestem, the elegant Indian grass, and the delicate prairie dropseed love a sunny location and create a vibrant tapestry of textures.
In the spring rain garden, wild ginger spreads across the ground with its heart-shaped leaves while elegant anemones sway gently in the breeze. Foamflower contributes delicate white flower clusters, and hardy lilyturf adds vibrant greenery throughout the spring season. The tall and striking blue flag iris brings stunning foliage and beautiful blooms, making it an excellent choice for a rain garden. Marsh marigolds add cheerful yellow accents to the edges of the garden. With their uniquely shaped blooms, the exquisite red columbine sways gracefully in the breeze. This rich variety of native plants enhances local ecosystems and captures the beauty and diversity of a rain garden.
In the summer, a rain garden comes alive with vibrant flowers, such as the brilliant red cardinal flowers, deep blue lobelia, and aromatic bee balm. The golden brown-eyed susans stand out beautifully, while summer swamp milkweed attracts a variety of pollinators.
As summer deepens, the rain garden is highlighted with the purple ironweed blooms, while the tall Joe Pye weed adds drama to the rain garden. Liatris, with its spikes of vibrant flowers, and the cheerful swamp sunflower brighten the scene alongside the delicate white turtlehead.
Choose Native Ground Covers, Evergreen and Deciduous Conifer Trees for Your Rain Garden.
Jack pine, white spruce, and cedars thrive in the rain garden, offering year-round visual interest and texture. In contrast, the deciduous conifers, such as larch and tamarack, introduce a delightful softness to the landscape. They transform dramatically in autumn, when their needles turn brilliant yellow and gold before they fall, revealing their distinctive architecture. With the arrival of spring, these trees regenerate vibrant new needles.
Low-maintenance native ground covers such as bayberry, bearberry, and winterberry provide a dynamic interest throughout the seasons. Bayberry, with its aromatic leaves and clusters of small, waxy berries, offers a fragrant backdrop in summer. In contrast, bearberry’s trailing habit and vibrant red berries add a splash of colour in autumn. Winterberry stands out in the colder months, showcasing its striking red berries against a backdrop of bare branches, creating a stunning contrast in the winter landscape. Together, these resilient plants create a visually appealing and ecologically beneficial ground cover that thrives with minimal care.
A rain garden serves as a natural filtration system that effectively mitigates water pollution by capturing and absorbing rainwater into the ground. This eco-friendly landscape feature not only directs excess water away from building foundations, preventing potential damage but also enhances the visual appeal of your property. With its vibrant array of plants and flowers, a rain garden can transform an ordinary yard into a picturesque haven, adding significant aesthetic value and increasing curb appeal for your home.
Lexi Dearborn