Watershed News – Education Projects

 

Rain Gardens

 

Rain Gardens help to improve local water quality and allow rain and snowmelt to seep naturally into the ground.  This helps recharge our groundwater supply, and reduces the amount of stormwater entering our storm sewer systems.

 

Rain gardens are designed with a dip at the center to collect rain and snow melt, and are usually placed at the end of downspouts or swales, or adjacent to hard surfaces such as driveways or roads.  The gardens are planted with native vegetation (flowers, grasses, shrubs, and trees) that is tolerant of alternating wet and dry conditions. 

 

Rain gardens not only capture, use, and treat rainwater and snowmelt, they help you reduce the amount of turf on your lawn.  Turf lawns create a harder surface which does not absorb water as readily as garden areas, and require maintenance, chemical treatments and extra water to look uniform. Yards that feature native plants, grasses and shrubs are much easier to maintain.

 

Curb-side Rain Gardens

 

A popular and effective location for rain gardens is along the curb at the edge of a lawn or driveway.  However, oftentimes, sediment builds up behind the curb, limiting the inflow into these rain gardens.  The Shingle Creek/West Mississippi Watershed Management Commissions have created detail sheets to assist cities/property owners in designing and preparing a site for a successful curb-side rain garden.

 

            Rain garden and rock infiltration sump plan

            Stauner sediment trap

 

A list of recommended plants and rain garden maintenance requirements can also be viewed here.

 

 

Rain gardens are growing in popularity in Minnesota.  For more information about rain gardens, visit these websites:

 

www.bluethumb.org/raingardens/

www.metroblooms.org

 

If you have planted a rain garden, we’d like to know.  Drop us a line (with pictures!) and tell us your story at sarah@jass.biz.  Good luck and happy planting!