Table of Contents
Create the rain garden by building a berm in a low spot in the yard, then build swales to channel runoff from the gutters and higher parts of the yard. The water is then absorbed into the soil through the network of deep plant roots. Use a mix of plants adapted to your area and to the different water depths.
How do you make a rain garden step by step?
Where should a rain garden be placed?
Your rain garden should be in the spot that’ll supply it with the most rainfall runoff possible. Start by identifying a location that you would like to add a garden. Ideally this location would be downhill from a downspout or paved area, or wherever most of your yard’s rainwater collects and runs off.
What are the different layers of a rain garden?
The rain garden consists of a vegetated or stone ponding area, a mulch layer, a planting soil layer, a sand bed, and a gravel base. The multiple layers work together to filter pollutants from water, allowing it to infiltrate into the groundwater supply uncontaminated.
What is a rain garden model?
Water flow through the rain garden soil is modeled over three layers: a root zone, a middle storage layer of high conductivity, and a subsoil lower layer. To continuously simulate recharge, runoff, and evapotranspiration, the model couples the Richards Equation with a surface water balance.
How deep should rain garden be?
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.
How much do rain gardens cost?
Cost. The cost associated with installing residential rain gardens average about three to four dollars per square foot, depending on soil conditions and the density and types of plants used in the installation. Commercial, industrial and institutional site costs can range between ten to forty dollars per square foot.
How do I site a rain garden?
Dig a hole about 6-12 inches deep and at least 4 inches in diameter in the rain garden site (roughly the size of a coffee can). Fill the hole with water and let it sit for an hour or two to pre-wet the soils for your test.
Do the rain gardens have standing water?
No. Because rain gardens are shallow and are only built on soils with sufficient drainage, they are designed to dry out before mosquitoes can reproduce. Will my rain garden have standing water? Rain gardens are designed to infiltrate water in about a day.
What kind of soil is best for a rain garden?
A good mix for a rain garden is 30% sand, 30–40% loamy topsoil and 30% organic material from yard waste compost. This mixture must be tilled into the existing soil to ensure proper drainage conditions.
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.
How do rain gardens filter water?
Rain gardens use the concept of bioretention, a water quality practice in which plants and soils filter pollutants from stormwater. By capturing runoff in shallow depressions and letting it soak into the ground, rainwater gardens also help recharge stores of groundwater in aquifers.
How long do rain gardens last?
Conversely, a rain garden is dry most of the time. It typically holds water only during and following a rainfall event. Because rain gardens will drain within 12-48 hours, they prevent the breeding of mosquitoes.
Are there any famous rain gardens?
The University of California, Santa Barbara has installed rain gardens in their biodiversity and ecological restoration center. Patagonia has installed bioswales at its headquarters in Ventura, CA. And Westwood in Los Angeles has created bioswales in order to improve water quality in the Santa Monica Bay.
What materials do you need for a rain garden?
Materials Required 1-1/2-in. river rock. Decorative rocks and boulders. Landscape fabric. Native plants and grasses. PVC pipe.
How do you size a rain garden?
Size – Rain gardens are typically 7 to 20 percent the size of the impervious surface generating the runoff entering the garden. Measure the square footage of the impervious area (length x width); then multiply this by 0.07 (7 percent). Determine a length and width of the rain garden that best fits the site.
How do you build a rain garden in clay soil?
Try using a 2:1 ratio of the drainage area to the surface area of your garden (most rain gardens in better soils use approximately a 4:1 ratio). For instance, if your garden will be draining a 200 sq. ft. of rooftop, plan the surface area of your garden to be 100 sq.
How much rain can a rain garden handle?
Therefore, rain gardens should be designed to handle the runoff from 1.25 inches of rain. This size of an event is called the water quality volume (WQv). roof runoff from a downspout, measure the length and width of the roof that drains to the downspout.
What are 3 benefits of rain gardens?
Rain garden benefits include pollution control, flooding protection, habitat creation and water conservation.
How do rain gardens prevent flooding?
Rain gardens fill with stormwater and allow the water to slowly fil- ter into the ground rather than running off into storm drains, and eventually into streams and lakes. Rain gardens reduce peak storm flows, help- ing to prevent stream bank erosion and lower- ing the risk for local flooding.
Do you mulch a rain garden?
To maintain your rain garden, remove weeds on a regular basis as the landscape plants grow, and replenish mulch as needed. As the plants in the rain garden mature, there will be less need for mulch and weeding. Rain gardens should be relatively low maintenance if the correct plants are chosen.
Are rain gardens hard to maintain?
Similar to conventional landscaping rain gardens need some care and maintenance throughout the year. The good news is that maintaining a rain garden can be quite rewarding. First and foremost take time and enjoy your rain garden! Installing a garden is a big deal, so sit back and enjoy it.
