Benefits of a Rain Garden
- Improved water quality by filtering out nutrients from stormwater that runs off your driveway or roof.
- A unique landscaping feature that’s relatively low maintenance.
- Tendency to be pest- and disease-free relative to conventional landscapes.
- A habitat for birds and butterflies.
How to create an effective rain garden?
Rain gardens:
- Collect stormwater runoff and prevent it from flowing directly into lakes, rivers and wetlands.
- Allow runoff to soak into the soil so sediments settle and plants absorb nutrients.
- Filter out pollutants from water before entering the groundwater.
- Prevent erosion by holding soil in place with their deep roots.
- Attract birds and butterflies.
Could You benefit from a rain garden?
The benefits of planting rain gardens are numerous. Rain garden benefits include pollution control, flooding protection, habitat creation and water conservation.
How and why to build a rain garden?
A recent conversation with a gardener friend as to why he didn’t plant a winter garden ... Raised garden beds are key to a rain friendly garden. Let’s consider how to make a raised bed, and then consider ways that taking the time to dig a raised ...
How is a rain garden different from a normal garden?
- Very relaxing
- Wide spray patterns
- Elegant looks
Why do we need a rain garden?
Why do rain gardens need water?
Why does runoff slow down water in a rain garden?
How far away from a rain garden can you put rain water?
Why are deep roots needed in a rain garden?
What are the benefits of native plants?
How does rain water filter out sediment?
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What are three benefits of rain gardens?
Rain gardens perform the following functions: filter stormwater runoff before it enters local waterways, alleviates problems associated with flooding and drainage, recharges the ground water supply, provides habitat and food for wildlife, including birds and butterflies, and enhances the beauty of yards and the ...
What do rain gardens protect?
Rain gardens, also called bioretention cells, provide a myriad of benefits including pollutant filtration, flooding prevention, and groundwater recharge. These native plant gardens are located in low-lying areas where stormwater runoff gathers and is naturally filtered, absorbed, and stored by plants and soil.
What are the disadvantages of rain gardens?
DISADVANTAGES OF RAIN GARDENS If your rain garden is not functioning properly, you may have issues with drainage. Rainwater runoff will accumulate in the basin, which can lead to backups and flooding. An improperly designed basin can also lead to increased erosion rates.
How deep should my rain garden be?
between four and eight inches deepOn the other hand, it is fine to make the rain garden bigger than the guidelines indicate. A typical rain garden is between four and eight inches deep. A rain garden more than eight inches deep might pond water too long, look like a hole in the ground, and present a tripping hazard for somebody stepping into it.
Do rain gardens attract mosquitoes?
Will a Rain Garden Attract Mosquitoes? Water should stand in a rain garden no longer than 24 hours after the rain stops. Mosquitoes cannot complete their breeding cycle in this length of time, so a rain garden should not increase mosquito populations.
Do rain gardens really work?
All About Rain Gardens Rain gardens are effective in removing up to 90% of nutrients and chemicals and up to 80% of sediments from the rainwater runoff. Compared to a conventional lawn, rain gardens allow for 30% more water to soak into the ground.
How do you take care of a rain garden?
Key Maintenance TipsWater regularly to promote plant growth especially during the first two years and dry spells.Inspect site following rainfall events. ... Prune and weed to maintain appearance.Replace mulch as needed.Soil fertilization is unnecessary as rain gardens are designed to absorb excess nutrients.More items...•
How much water can a rain garden absorb?
So at 12” deep, it will hold about 620 gallons of rainwater. If you dig it down just 6” deep, your rain garden will hold only half of that, or just 310 gallons of water. With shallower swales, you may want more, or wider rain gardens. If you make your swale deeper, you can capture more water in a smaller footprint.
What type of plants are best suited for a rain garden?
Try a mix of wildflowers, perennials, ornamental grasses, natives and other plants recommended for your USDA growing zone. They should be able to tolerate both wet conditions when rainwater fills the garden and dry conditions when rain is scarce.
How many plants should be in a rain garden?
Three plants. Daylilies (Hemerocallis), which may not be natives but can keep your rain garden in bloom over a long season if you plant early, midseason, and late varieties. Assorted heights and a rainbow of colors are available. Zones 4 to 11.
How do I prepare my soil for a rain garden?
After digging, rough up the bottom and sides to allow for more infiltration. If an initial percolation test shows that water does not drain properly from the site, excavate the site from one to four feet deep and fill the garden with sandy loam soil. Mix in 2 to 3 inches of compost near the surface.
Where is the best place to put a rain garden?
The rain garden should be located in a place that can collect as much impervious area (driveway, roof, sidewalks) runoff as possible. The best areas are generally where water naturally drains but doesn't hold water. It should also be located at least 5'-15' away from your home.
What is a rain garden?
Imagine an enormous sponge filled with plants, and you’ve got a rain garden. A rain garden, also known as a bioretention cell, is a basin filled with native plants, flowers, rocks, and permeable soil designed to capture and absorb stormwater flowing away from your house.
12 reasons to build a rain garden
There’s a treasure trove of reasons to begin digging. The benefits of a rain garden include:
How do rain gardens work?
When it rains, water flows down your lawn from impervious surfaces like driveways, roofs, parking lots, and patios. It picks up harmful pollutants like fertilizer, herbicide, and sealant chemicals along the way.
Misconceptions and questions about rain gardens
If you love the idea of rain gardens but are concerned about the details, you’re not alone. Some homeowners are wary about rain gardens based on common misconceptions.
Letting a rain garden be your hero
If your lawn has been practicing its best damsel-in-distress voice, it may be time to let a rain garden save the day. Enlist your family and friends to help build your own rain garden. If you’d rather relax and watch the butterflies arrive, you can call a local lawn care professional to get your rain garden ready to soar, cape and all.
Why are rain gardens important?
Another major benefit of rain gardens is that they provide habitat for pollinators and increase plant diversity. Across the United States, there have been serious declines in pollinators such as butterflies and honey bees. These beneficial insects pollinate our crops and vegetables so they can produce our food.
What is a rain garden?
Basically, a rain garden is a shallow depression in the ground that collects water during a rain storm. The water that collects in rain gardens soaks into the soil and eventually makes its way to our rivers and streams as “base flow”.
How often do rain gardens bloom in Austin?
With a little bit of care and planning, your rain garden can have flowers and active pollinators almost every month of the year in Austin’s mild climate. You can do your part to decrease flooding, treat storm water, and provide wildlife habitat by building a rain garden on your property.
Why are rain gardens important?
Rain gardens can beautify your home, adding to its value, while protecting your property and your community from flooding. Rain gardens also provide habitat for bees, birds, butterflies and other wildlife, help improve air quality and reduced your carbon footprint. Rain gardens are a proven way to reduce water pollution locally and regionally.
Is rain garden good for utilities?
Rain gardens are an affordable option for homeowners and utilities compared with traditional pipe and drain systems. They require minimal time and skill to maintain each year, and actually work better over time unlike sewer pipes.
How do rain gardens help?
Rain gardens help reduce sewer overflows and water pollution by absorbing stormwater runoff from hard surfaces into the ground naturally. Since 2006, the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) and Agrecol Native Seed and Plant Nursery have offered a rain garden plant sale to customers within MMSD’s service area.
What is a rain garden?
Rain gardens are gardens that are watered by collected or pooled stormwater runoff, slowly infiltrating it into the ground along root pathways. They are typically planted with wildflowers and deep-rooted native vegetation, which helps infiltrate rain channeled to them from roofs, driveways, yards, and other impervious surfaces.
What are the benefits of rain gardens?
Another benefit is that rain gardens serve as habitats for wildlife such as birds and butterflies. They are useful for residential, commercial, and public areas. Above all, a rain garden is a landscape amenity, blending beauty and function—an attractive WaterSmart solution to water pollution. Download a printer-friendly version ...
What is a rain garden?
A beautiful solution to water pollution. A rain garden is a bowl-shaped depression designed as a garden to capture, hold, and absorb rainwater. Rain gardens slow the flow of rainwater from roofs, sidewalks, streets, parking lots, and other impervious surfaces, allowing the water to penetrate the soil. The soil cleans the water of pollutants ...
How long should rain water be in a rain garden?
When designed properly, water in the rain garden should stand for no more than 24 to 48 hours, too short a period for mosquitoes to hatch.
Why is soil important in storm drains?
The soil cleans the water of pollutants before it enters the storm drain and empties into our bayous and bays. This process allows us to keep more of the rain that falls on our yards, and the stormwater that finally enters the storm drain is cleaner.
What are the functions of rain gardens?
Rain gardens perform the following functions: filter stormwater runoff before it enters local waterways, alleviates problems associated with flooding and drainage, recharges the ground water supply, provides habitat and food for wildlife, including birds and butterflies, and enhances the beauty of yards and the community.
How do native plants help the soil?
They are easy to care for since they need little if any fertilizer or pesticides, and once established, infrequent watering. Native plants have deep roots systems that channel water deep into the soil and provide soil stability preventing erosion.
Why does the ability of our environment to perform its natural processes decrease?
As development increases , the ability of our environment to perform its natural processes decreases. This is because the natural landscape that was once able to absorb and clean stormwater is covered by impervious surfaces. Impervious surfaces are simply surfaces that water is unable to penetrate.
Why do we need a rain garden?
Building a rain garden on your property is a great way to reduce localized flooding, standing water issues and stormwater runoff leaving your property . The benefits of planting rain gardens are numerous. Rain garden benefits include pollution control, flooding protection, habitat creation and water conservation.
Why do rain gardens need water?
Water Conservation. Rain gardens capture and hold rain water and allows that water to soak slowing in to the ground. This reduces, actually eliminates, the need to ever water a rain garden once it is established and conserving municipal water use for the garden and surrounding landscape.
Why does runoff slow down water in a rain garden?
When localized runoff flows into a rain garden the water slows down, because it is filtered by the soil and the plants. This allows the solids drop out over a wide area and eventually be absorbed by the soil and the plants through natural processes, including: filtering, absorption and naturally occurring microbes.
How far away from a rain garden can you put rain water?
Flooding Protection. By positioning a rain garden, at least, 10 feet from your home or other structures and directing rain water runoff into the rain garden, it is possible to reduce the amount of rain that flows into your basement and toward the sewer. By holding this relatively clean water and allowing it to soak into ...
Why are deep roots needed in a rain garden?
Native plants are required because the rain garden, primarily, because they are adapted to the climate, seasons and weather and will survive the best.
What are the benefits of native plants?
These plants will also attract and provide shelter and food for wildlife and support pollinators. Native plants will support a variety of birds (local and migrating), butterflies (during the egg laying and migration seasons), beneficial insects and other wildlife by providing diverse habitats and food sources .
How does rain water filter out sediment?
Rain gardens filter out sediment and other pollutants (like animal waste, brake dust, oils and automotive chemicals) by capturing the first flush of rain (or first inch or so of rainwater runoff) which tends to contain the highest concentration of pollutants. When localized runoff flows into a rain garden the water slows down, because it is filtered by the soil and the plants. This allows the solids drop out over a wide area and eventually be absorbed by the soil and the plants through natural processes, including: filtering, absorption and naturally occurring microbes.
