GOOD TO KNOW

Rain gardens have both flood and drought-tolerant native plants, grasses and trees. A top layer of mulch will keep the weeds out and improve water absorption and filtration. Rain gardens have many benefits. They:

• Enhance the beauty of your yard
• Diversify the plants in your yard
• Provide habitat for birds and insects
• Filter stormwater runoff before it enters local waterways

Speaking of diversifying your plants, here are some things to consider when selecting the plants for your rain garden:

• Choose plants tolerant of both occasional flooding as well as dry periods.
• Choose noninvasive plants that are adapted to the local environment.
• Choose a mixture of species. A good rule of thumb is one plant species for every 10 to 20 square feet. For example, a 140-square-foot garden would have 7 to 14 different plant species.
• Choose plants for vertical layering: Plant a mix of tall-, medium-, and low-growing species.

But which plants exactly, you ask?

Rain garden perennials include:

• Arrowhead Sagittaria latifola
• Asters Aster spp.
• Beardtongue Penstemon digitalis
• Beebalm Monarda didyma
• Blackeyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta
• Blue Lobelia Lobelia siphilitica
• Bluestar Amsonia tabernaemontana
• Want more? Click here for a comprehensive list!

Rain garden shrubs include:

• American Beautyberry Callicarpa americana
• Anise Illicium parvifolium
• Arrowwood Viburnum dentatum
• Bottlebrush Buckeye Aesculus parviflora
• Buttonbush Cephalanthus occidentalis
• Carolina Allspice Calycanthus floridus
• Chokeberry Aronia arbutifolia
• Cranberrybushes Viburnum opulus/trilobum
• Devilwood Osmanthus americana
• Want more? Click here for a comprehensive list!

Rain garden ferns include:

• Christmas Fern Polystichum acrostichoides
• Cinnamon Fern Osmunda cinnamomea
• Holly Fern Cyrtomium falcatum
• Japanese Painted Fern Athyrium nipponicum
• Lady Fern Athyrium felix-femina
• Royal Fern Osmunda regalis
• Tassel Fern Polystichum braunii
• Wood Ferns Dryopteris spp.

Rain garden grasses and grass-like plants include:

• Broom Sedge Andropogon virginicus
• Feather Reed Grass Calamagrostis acutiflora
• Foxtail Grass Alopecurus pratensis
• Rushes Juncus spp.
• Sedges Carex spp.
• Sweetflag Acorus spp.
• Switchgrass Panicum virgatum

Rain garden groundcovers include:

• Bugleweed Ajuga spp.
• Foamflower Tiarella cordifolia
• Green and Gold Chrysogonum virginianum
• Lilyturf Liriope spicata
• Mazus Mazus reptans
• Plumbago Ceratostigma plumbaginoides
• St. Johnswort Hypericum calycinum

GOOD TO DO

If you are looking for a solution to the standing water on your property or a way to add more color to your yard and help improve water quality, then a rain garden is your solution! 

Here are the key steps to installing a rain garden:

• Strategically locate your rain garden by noticing where water already flows or pools. Consider placing it near your house to catch runoff from the roof or in another area of your lawn to collect runoff from other hard surfaces.
• Select a variety of native plants, being careful to include both drought and flood-tolerant species suitable for our climate zone. Here’s that great list of rain garden plants we mentioned earlier to get you started.
• Sketch out your garden design and plant placement, or work with a professional landscaper to create a successful design. Here are some simple rain garden plans you could consider for your yard.
• Generally, you want to plant shrubs and perennials in groups of three to five of the same species. Trees can be planted in groups or individually.
• Plant taller and larger plants in the center or at one end of the garden, depending on the views.
• Plant shorter plants where they can be seen easily, around the garden edges, in front of larger plants, or underneath taller plants.

You can also follow specific rain garden landscape plans for particular areas:

• Border rain garden
• Entry rain garden
• Hedgerow rain garden
• Let your imagination run wild!

Next time, enjoy the rain, knowing your rain garden is making the world a healthier, more beautiful place.