Have you heard about rain gardens? If so, you’ve probably thought about creating one. Rain gardens can be a beneficial element in your landscape if they are properly situated and planted with appropriate plant species. They are also unnecessary in many landscapes. Let’s talk through a few considerations to see if a rain garden would be useful in your landscape!
1. Rain gardens are meant to capture water before it reaches the lowest spot. The idea is to retain the water at a higher elevation and allow it to infiltrate the ground instead of running over the landscape*.
2. Water should infiltrate rather quickly under most normal circumstances. Most rain gardens should not have standing water a few hours after a heavy rain and all should drain within 48 hours.
3. This means they are prone to drought and should be planted with species that can tolerate very dry conditions. Think prairie species.
4. If you have well-drained, sandy, gravelly or loamy soil and especially if you have well-drained soil on a flat landscape, you probably don’t need to dig a rain garden. Simply planting native species will give you the infiltration you need and the above ground vegetation will slow any potential surface runoff.
If the water on your property can’t run off then their is no need for a rain garden!
*Sometimes the lowest spot might be the only place where a garden can go. If the soil there is already consistently wet, you will be creating more of a wetland garden. This will still help clean water and prevent surface run off into storm drains. However, you’ll use species that can tolerate the consistently wet soil.
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