Rain Garden

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A rain garden is a garden that collects and filters stormwater runoff. It is full of plants that love water and has soil that drains well. Sometimes a rain garden will have a pipe underneath to drain excess water from the garden. They are great for stormwater management but are often not the right solution for homeowners, so think carefully about whether it is right for your situation. If you do install one, do not try and do it yourself. Hire a professional familiar with rain gardens.

Benefits of a Rain Garden

  • Filters lots of water

  • Can be aesthetically pleasing

  • Plants filter the air, prevent erosion, and provide habitat and food for animals

Things to Consider

  • Do you have space? Rain gardens need a lot of space. The more stormwater runoff flows into the garden, the bigger it will need to be. They are designed to be big enough to catch the "first flush," the first inch of rain that picks up the most pollutants and sediment.

  • Does the site you have in mind drain well? If not, a rain garden will not work. Directing more stormwater runoff to the area will only worsen the problem.

  • Does the site you have in mind have any utilities or tree branches underneath? Creating a rain garden involves digging to make a depression, which may lead to damaging utility lines or roots. Tree roots spread far past the canopy of the tree, and damaging too many too close to the tree would harm or kill the tree. If your site has one or both of these problems, a rain garden should not be put there.

  • Does the site you have in mind have somewhere water could go if it overflows?

  • Are you willing to pay someone to design and install the garden?

  • Are you willing to learn how to maintain a rain garden and maintain it? Rain gardens need proper maintenance to be effective, so only install one if you are going to take proper care of it.

See the Resources page for more information.