There’s a new garden in town. It is (mostly) easy to install, looks good
year-round, requires almost no maintenance and has a terrifically upbeat impact
on the environment. No wonder rain gardens are such a great new gardening trend!

Storm water runoff can be a big problem in summer during heavy thunderstorms.
As the water rushes across roofs and driveways, it picks up oil and other
pollutants. Municipal storm water treatment plants often can’t handle the
deluge of water, and in many locations the untreated water ends up in natural
waterways. The EPA estimates as much as 70 percent of the pollution in our
streams, rivers, and lakes is carried there by storm water! By taking
responsibility for the rainwater that falls on your own roof and driveway, you’ll
be helping to protect our rivers, streams and lakes from stormwater pollution.

To reduce the excess water runoff, many towns are encouraging businesses and
homeowners to install rain gardens in their yards. Rain gardens are specially
constructed gardens located in low areas of a yard where storm water can collect.
The idea is to have the water naturally funnel to this garden. The rain garden
collects water runoff and stores and filters it until it can be slowly
absorbed by the soil. Rather than rushing off into a storm sewer or a local
waterway, the rainwater can collect in a garden where it will be naturally
filtered by plants and soil.

Installing a rain garden is easy.

You simply dig a shallow depression in your yard and plant it with native
grasses and wildflowers; things that are easy to grow and maintain in your area.

What makes a garden a rain garden?
First, the garden will be designed with a low
spot in the middle to collect and absorb rain water and snow melt. This depression
can range from a few inches in a small garden, to an excavated trough that’s
several feet deep. Second, rain gardens are usually located where they’ll catch
the runoff from impermeable surfaces like sidewalks and driveways, or from gutters
and roof valleys. Third, rain gardens are usually planted with native wildflowers
and grasses that will thrive in tough growing conditions. Finally, rain gardens
are designed to channel heavy rains to another rain garden or to another part of
the garden.

Your rain garden should be located at least 10 feet from the house. The garden’s
size and location depends on the yard. The ideal situation would
be to locate the garden in a natural depression. You also can funnel water
from downspouts on gutters into the garden. The soil should be well drained
so the water doesn’t sit in the garden for more than two days. A special
“rain garden” soil mix of 50 to 60 percent sand, 20 to 30 percent topsoil,
and 20 to 30 percent compost is recommended. You can dig this mixture into
the soil to depth of 2 feet before planting.

Once you’ve identified the new garden’s location, remove the sod and dig a
shallow depression approximately 6-inches deep. Slope the sides gradually from the
outside edge to the deepest area. Use the soil that you remove to build up a
slightly raised area on the lowest side of the garden. This berm will help contain
the stormwater and allow it to percolate slowly through the rain garden.

If your rain garden is no more than about 6-inches deep, stormwater will usually
be absorbed within a one- to seven-day period. Because mosquitoes require seven
to 10 days to lay and hatch their eggs, this will help you avoid mosquito problems.

Your downspout or sump pump outlet should be directed toward your rain garden
depression. This can be accomplished by a natural slope, by digging a shallow swale,
or by piping the runoff directly to the garden through a buried 4″ diameter
plastic drain tile.

Plant Selection… The final touch.

The most difficult part of building a rain garden (if it can even be called that)
can be plant selection. Plants need to be tough enough to withstand periodic flooding,
yet attractive enough to look good in the garden. Deep-rooted, low-care native
plants, such as asters, and tough non-natives, such as daylilies, are best. If
properly designed, the rain garden can consist of a blend of attractive shrubs,
perennials, trees, and ground covers. Planting strips of grass around the
garden and using mulch also can help filter the water.

New plants should be watered every other day for the first two weeks or so.
Once they are well established, your garden should thrive without additional watering.
Fertilizers will not be necessary, and only minimal weeding will be needed after
the first summer of growth.

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It is important to add organic matter to your soil every
year - whether you’re using chemical fertilizers or
gardening organically. Healthy soil is alive, actually
teaming with earthworms and micro-organisms by the millions
that have each got particular functions in making the soil
fertile. If your garden soil is going to continue to
produce for you, it needs to be fed plenty of organic
material.

Soil life eats and decomposes organic matter, which causes
minerals to be released in a form that plant roots can
absorb. In addition to this fertilizing effect, all the
organic waste helps the texture of the soil - loosening
hard-packed clay or binding loose, sandy soil. Humus gives
the soil its necessary sponge-like texture that allows air
circulation and moisture retention.

For these beneficial processes to take place, the life in
soil needs fresh fuel, (organic matter). Without this
food, earthworms leave and microbes die, causing nutrients
to get locked away by soil particles, unavailable to the
plants. Insect pests and diseases then attack the under-
nourished and vulnerable plants. It doesn’t help to pour
on the chemical fertilizers; they don’t contribute to a
flourishing soil life or spongy soil texture.

This is a simplification of a very complex natural process
of soil chemistry that justifies in-depth study in its own.
But the intention here is to give a basic idea of the
absolute necessity of a generous annual addition of organic
matter to all continuously used garden soil. Now, here are
some suggestions about how to feed the soil.

Haul in compost, buying it in packaged form or by the yard
from nurseries. Processors in your area (cider mills,
canneries, etc.) often have organic material for the
taking. Farms nearby might welcome removal of animal
manures: horse, cattle, chicken, rabbit are all good. Of
course, chop garden residues and weeds into the soil after
the crop is finished. Also chop in the hay or straw that
was used as mulch. Gather leaves and lawn clippings and
dig them in.

Here’s the quickest, least hassle method for taking just
about any stretch of soil and turning it into excellent
loam. Grow a cover-crop, or green manure, and simply till
it in. This practice, when done over time, actually
replenishes the top-soil instead of removing it with
harvested crops. This is a particular benefit for gardeners
who are growing food in the same location over a period of
years.

Notes on using green manures:

1) You can grow green manures in a rotation (an early
green manure followed by a late-season planting of produce,
or a late cover-crop following an early summer harvest like
lettuce and peas) so that even if you have a small garden
you will have a harvest crop as well as a cover-crop every
year.

2) Using green manures can be done by any gardener with or
without powered equipment. However, a roto-tiller is the
easiest method. If necessary, you can rent one.

Here are the most common kinds of cover-crops for home
use.

A) Buckwheat: in addition to growing well even in poor
soil, it chokes out weeds. Sow buckwheat in summer, after
harvesting peas, etc.

B) Ryegrass: this grows rapidly and is very hardy, adding
a good amount of bulk. Best to choose annual varieties.
Ryegrass is a good crop for late-summer since it dies back
for easy tilling in spring.

C) Legumes (alfalfa, peas, vetch, soybeans, etc.): these
will “fix” nitrogen from the air if you use “inoculated”
seeds, attracting the right micro-organisms. Notice that
some legumes are vegetables; giving both food and green
manure from the same crop.

In addition to its benefits to soil, there are many good
reasons to grow green manure. They help with weed control,
bee attraction, and provide a beautiful green cover that
keeps the garden looking nice right up to the time snow
flies.

Valerie Palmer, writer and master gardener, contributes to
TLC Gardening,
offering valuable free information to enhance your gardening
experience. Also visit Full Storage or FB Home
to find more articles by Valerie Palmer.

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