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What is a Rain Garden?
By
Donna Evans and
William Henry
Homeowners across the country are discovering the joys and satisfaction of
rain gardens. A rain garden is a landscaped area that actually replaces an area
of lawn. Compared to a “normal” patch of lawn, a rain garden allows 30% more
water to soak into the ground. Rain gardens are a good and inexpensive way to
prevent the problem of urban stormwater runoff. A rain garden is planted in
wildflowers or other native vegetation. As the name implies, rain gardens are
designed to soak up rainwater, mainly from the roofs of buildings, parking lots
and hard surfaces. A rain garden is designed so that it fills up with a few
inches of water after a storm. That water can then slowly filter into the
ground, rather than rapidly running off into a storm drain, river or lake.
So, why are rain gardens important? Rain gardens can:
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help protect streams and lakes from pollutants that are carried by urban
stormwater; pollutants such as lawn fertilizers and pesticides, oil and
other automotive fluids and harmful substances that wash off roofs and paved
areas
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increase the amount of water that filters into the ground
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enhance the beauty of the yard
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create habitat for birds and butterflies
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help protect communities from flooding and drainage problems
A typical home rain garden can be in one of two places: 1) near the house to
catch roof run-off; or 2) further out on the lawn to collect water from the
lawn, roof, and other hard surface areas. Don’t put a rain garden: Within ten
feet of the house so that water cannot seep into the foundation. Do not put a
rain garden where water already ponds the goal of a rain garden is to
encourage infiltration and wet areas are where infiltration is already slow. And
do not put a rain garden directly over a septic system. In addition, rain
gardens will thrive better in areas where they will receive full or partial sun.
Rain gardens can combine shrubs, grasses and flowering perennials. The garden
itself is actually a depressed area, which is usually about six to eight inches
deep. Rain that flows into the garden is retained in the garden for a short time
after a rainstorm. The water slowly infiltrates into the ground or evaporates.
The plants in the garden filter the water by trapping pollutants.
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Rain gardens are not ponds. Rainwater soaks into the garden, which is
then dry between rainfalls.
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Rain gardens are not breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Mosquitoes need 7
to 12 days to lay and hatch eggs. The standing water in a rain garden will
last for only a few hours.
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Once established rain gardens require little maintenance. Some weeding
and watering may be required until plants get established.
Donna Evans and William Henry own Gizmo Creations LLC, a landscape design
company. For more information about their services, please visit:
http://www.gizmocreations.com
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Donna_Evans
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