Create Your Own Rain Garden

A rain garden is good for the environment because it captures water that would otherwise run off into the storm sewer system, collecting oils and pollutants on the way. Water that flows into your rain garden instead is absorbed and purified the way Mother Nature intended.

Anyone can create a simple rain garden. And any rain garden is better than none at all. Why? Because capturing some of the water that would normally run off your property is better than letting it all go down the drain, so to speak. Here's how to create a simple rain garden:

• Choose a place in your yard that is at least 12 feet from the foundation of your home and one where rainfall or snowmelt would naturally head toward. If you already have a low spot in your yard, it can be a good candidate for your rain garden with some soil amendments. You may want to choose a spot that is relatively close to a downspout from your roof so that water can be directed to the rain garden.
• With a shovel, dig out a depression about six-to-eight inches deep (be sure there are no underground utilities where you are digging) with gently sloped sides as opposed to a drop off. A typical small rain garden might be six feet wide by 10 or 12 feet long, and can be rectangular or contoured in any shape you desire.
• You then will loosen the soil inside the depression to a depth of a foot or so if you have soil that drains well. Mix in some compost for plant nutrition and sand to aid drainage. If you have a heavy clay soil, soil amendments will be necessary to create good drainage. Do them now rather than find out you should have done them later. A rain garden should absorb the rainfall it collects within a few hours, not turn into a pond. Dig down two feet, remove at least half of the soil you have loosened, and replace it with a more absorbent mix that will drain better. A good mix is sand (50-60 %), and the rest half topsoil and half compost. Very heavy clay soils may need a layer of gravel, then the soil amendments on top.
• When planting your rain garden, you may want to use plants native to your area. Your county agricultural extension office can help you identify plants to use and where to purchase them. Native plants tend to be survivors, uniquely adapted to your area. This means less upkeep and care for you. At the same time, you will attract birds and butterflies to your natural buffet of blooms. Plant your rain garden like you would any other flowerbed: water immediately and add a layer of mulch over the soil surface.
• Watch your rain garden carefully during its first year. If water rushes into it too quickly, you may want to add a few decorative stones to slow the flow so your shallow banks don't erode.

Enjoy your rain garden! Not only have you taken the initiative to help prevent water pollution, you also have created a spot of beauty that benefits wildlife.