A couple of new items on the site
- Rain Garden Network has put its rain garden presentations on the web. Visit our site and download a presentation about installing a rain garden and more.
- We have a great new gardening professional in Chicago who has been instructing urban gardeners for years and has recently installed a new rain garden. We plan to link to her articles to the Members area regularly and check in on each of her new projects.
- We have also added a presentation by a man in Texas who, with his family, has built a rainwater harvesting system on his property to capture the rain from his roof. You have to see this. Very detailed.
What native (or non-native) plants are you planting?
We prefer an assortment of plants that look good in the garden but also grow well no matter what the weather. But sometimes there are too many great plants to choose from and the garden looks like a botanical sampling garden. That’s when some plants need to be eliminated from the list.
If you are trying to decide which plants to put in you rain garden start first by determining which plants are best for the location you have selected. Is the garden dry most of the time and stays wet for a while after storms? Is it damp to moist most of the time? Is the garden in full or partial sun or is it in moderate or deep shade? Does it drain well?
Once you have the plants’ requirements figured out you can think about the height, color, texture and time of bloom that would work well for your garden.
Send in some of the plants you have been using and let us know why you like them and how they are doing. Photos (along with explanations) are fine too. Send to info@raingardennetwork.com
Rain gardens in the News
We have posted a number of articles that have been in the news. Most of the information comes from accessing Google Alerts which searches major newspapers throughout the world. We review all the articles and choose the ones that gives the best information. Articles
Complimentary article - free use - just give credit
Rain Gardens are Great!
Well, you've probably heard about rain gardens but what really is a rain garden? Let's make a quick review of this smart, sustainable and natural way to reduce storm water runoff and protect our waterways.
As we increase the build up of our cities and towns by adding buildings, roads and parking lots we pave over the open ground that once absorbed the rain and helped to reduce flooding and stream erosion. To counteract these effects of our "growth" a number of techniques can be implemented by property owners that will help keep the rainwater that falls on their property . . . on their property.
A rain garden is basically a landscaping technique that is designed to hold rainwater that comes from downspouts and hard surfaces. Rain gardens hold the water for a short period of time and then allow it to soak slowly into the ground. This keeps the excess water and any pollutants it picks up out of the sewers and rivers.
A rain garden should be dug as a shallow depression (perhaps 6-8" deep),
positioned near a runoff source (downspout, driveway, etc.) and planted with deep-rooted native plants that will survive wet periods after a storm, as well as, dry periods.
Although you can use a variety of hardy perennials we suggest planting the garden with plants native to your area because they are adapted to the local climate and are able to search out water in the ground. Native grasses, sedges and ferns, that thrive in the woodlands, wetlands, savannas or prairies of our area work well in rain gardens. Add asters, native goldenrods, Monarda, wild columbine, Joe Pye weed and other native flowering plants for color through the seasons.
Rain gardens are just one simple solution to reduce storm water pollution. For additional information, please visit The Rain Garden Network website at www.raingardennetwork.com.
Photo of the Month
Rain harvesting project in East Texas
See the presentation
On the Website
Rain garden studies
Municipal Sewer information
Visit the rain garden Photo Gallery
Rain garden articles
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Questions or comments? Email us at info@raingardennetwork.com
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