Table of Contents
How do you set up a rain garden?
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 build a residential rain garden?
Follow these six steps to establish a rain garden in your landscape: Select a location. The ideal spot to build a rain garden is close to the house — but not too close — where it can capture water running off the roof. Prepare the site. Direct Downspouts. Pick the Right Plants. Maximize Mulch. Maintain.
How deep should my rain garden be?
A typical rain garden is between four and eight inches deep. A rain garden much less than four inches deep will need an excessive amount of surface area to provide enough water storage to infiltrate the larger storms.
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.
What can you plant in a rain garden berm?
During dry periods, those deep roots help locate stores of water deeper in the soil. Some of my favorite rain garden plants are yarrow and echinacea, and a few edible perennials for wet soil. My front yard rain garden is planted with deep-rooted perennials like iris (with grass-like leaves) and pink coneflower.
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 much water can a rain garden absorb?
If your rain garden (aka swale) is 10′ wide and 8-1/2′ long, its area (10′ x 8.5′) is 85 square feet. 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.
What is a rain garden and how does it work?
A rain garden is a depressed area in the landscape that collects rain water from a roof, driveway or street and allows it to soak into the ground. Planted with grasses and flowering perennials, rain gardens can be a cost effective and beautiful way to reduce runoff from your property.
Can you plant a garden next to your house?
Yes, planting a fruit or vegetable garden next to your house is a very good idea – even better if you do it on a raised bed. You won’t have to worry about weeds, you’ll have more control over the soil, and most importantly, it’ll be convenient.
What is the difference between a bioswale and a rain garden?
Rain Gardens versus Bioswales The main difference is that the bioswale moves water to somewhere else in the garden, while also allowing some (but not all) of it to infiltrate. A rain garden is specifically meant to increase infiltration. Bioswales are often used to convey water to a rain garden.
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.
What are the different types of rain gardens?
Rain gardens are a type of water capture feature in landscaping that helps slow and absorb runoff from storms. Other types of naturalized bioretention methods include stormwater planters, green gutters, downspout planters, stormwater trees, and tree trenches.
What size rain garden do I need?
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 deal with standing water in your yard?
6 Ways to Get Rid of Standing Water Water wisely. Getting the right watering schedule. Sprinkler system maintenance. Choosing the right sprinkler system. Dethatch and aerate. Add compost. Build a rain garden. Add a drainage system. French drainage systems. Dry wells. Take care of gutters and downspouts.
How deep does rain soak into the ground?
Here are some very broad “rules of thumb.” The effective root zone for most plants extends down to about 3 feet. An inch of rain will wet the soil to a depth of 1 foot, if there is no runoff and the soil is a sandy loam.
