Growing A Flowering Rain Garden Selecting Flowers For Rain Gardens

1. What are the best plants for a rain garden?
2. How do I start a rain garden?
3. What characteristics are necessary for a plant to thrive in a rain garden?
4. When should you plant a rain garden?
5. Do rain gardens attract mosquitoes?
6. How effective are rain gardens?
7. Can you plant a garden next to your house?
8. How deep should a rain garden be?
9. Where should I put my rain garden?
10. How much does a rain garden cost?
11. Do the rain gardens have standing water?
12. Can you plant trees in a rain garden?
13. How do I make a rain garden without overwatering?
14. How do you make a garden swale?
15. What soaks up water in yard?
16. How does water get to the plants in the rain garden?
17. What are the different layers of a rain garden?
18. What is the difference between a bioswale and a rain garden?
19. What is a rain garden and how can it reduce stormwater runoff?
20. Is it OK to plant flowers in wet soil?

What are the best plants for a rain garden?

Plant a Rain Garden

• Cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis)
• Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia fulgida)
• Swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)
• Swamp mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos)
• Joe Pye weed (Eupatorium)
• Sedges (Carex)
• Bluestar (Amsonia)
• Turtlehead (Chelone)

How do I start a rain garden?

How to Build a Rain Garden

1. Choose the Site. Your rain garden should be located at least 10 feet from the house. ...
2. Prepare the Soil. Once you've identified the new garden's location, remove the sod and dig a shallow depression approximately 6" deep. ...
3. Choose Native Plants. Native plants are the best choice for rain gardens.

What characteristics are necessary for a plant to thrive in a rain garden?

Criteria for Selecting Rain Garden Species

Plants that need full sun need at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sun during the growing season; plants that require shade cannot tolerate more that 3 hours of direct sun. The hours and angle of sunlight change with the seasons, too.

When should you plant a rain garden?

Although a rain garden can be installed anytime the ground is not frozen, spring and fall are the best times to start your garden. In spring, the soil is easier to dig and the rainy weather means less initial watering.

Do rain gardens attract mosquitoes?

Rain can be a valuable resource when managed properly. If not managed properly, storm water runoff can threaten homes, neighborhoods and even people's lives. Rain gardens do not attract mosquitoes as the water is typically absorbed within 48 hours which is not long enough for mosquitoes to breed. ...

How effective are rain gardens?

Rain gardens are effective in removing up to 90% of nutrients and chemicals and up to 80% of sediments from the rainwater runoff. Compared to a conventional lawn, rain gardens allow for 30% more water to soak into the ground. ... Because rain gardens will drain within 12-48 hours, they prevent the breeding of mosquitoes.

Can you plant a garden next to your house?

Be sure not to put the garden too close to your house, which will cast shadows; keep planting areas at least 10 feet away from the walls. Vegetables planted in the shade are less productive and may be more susceptible to disease and insect damage than planted in full sun.

How deep should a rain garden be?

A typical rain garden is between four and eight inches deep. A rain garden more than eight inches deep might pond water too long, look like a hole in the ground, and present a tripping hazard for somebody stepping into it.

Where should I put my rain garden?

The rain garden should be located in a place that can collect as much impervious area (driveway, roof, sidewalks) runoff as possible. The best areas are generally where water naturally drains but doesn't hold water. It should also be located at least 5'-15' away from your home.

How much does a rain garden cost?

The cost of a rain garden can vary substantially based on size, location, plant variety, soil amendments needed, and availability of volunteers. Residential rain gardens average about $3 to $4 per square foot, depending on soil conditions and the density and types of plants used.

Do the rain gardens have standing water?

No. Because rain gardens are shallow and are only built on soils with sufficient drainage, they are designed to dry out before mosquitoes can reproduce. Will my rain garden have standing water? Rain gardens are designed to infiltrate water in about a day.

Can you plant trees in a rain garden?

Most of the vegetation planted in rain gardens consists of shrubs and herbaceous plants, but you can also install trees in a rain garden if you wish. However, you must pick species that can adapt to the conditions present in or near the rain garden if you want to give the trees the best chance of thriving.

How do I make a rain garden without overwatering?

You can use pre-mixed rain garden soil, or you can use general gardening topsoil. Mix compost with your soil before adding it into your garden, as it will provide nutrients that may be lacking in the soil. Your soil's compost content should be around 20-30%. The clay content in your soil should be minimal.

How do you make a garden swale?

Try watching this video on www.youtube.com, or enable JavaScript if it is disabled in your browser.

1. Step 4: Dig a trench along the marked contour line. ...
2. Step 5: Mound the soil from the trench on the downhill side to create a berm. ...
3. Step 6: Test and adjust the swale. ...
4. Step 7: Plant the swale.

What soaks up water in yard?

In order to make your lawn more amenable to water absorption, work organic matter into your soil. Garden compost, leaf mold and manure will all open the soil up and create more minute channels through which water can escape. Dig. For hardpan problems, a shovel may be the best solution.

How does water get to the plants in the rain garden?

A Rain Garden receives water from impervious (hard) surfaces such as rooftops, sidewalks, driveways and patios. The shallow depression of the garden holds the water so it can slowly infiltrate back into the soil as the plants, mulch and soil naturally remove pollutants from the runoff.

What are the different layers of a rain garden?

The rain garden consists of a vegetated or stone ponding area, a mulch layer, a planting soil layer, a sand bed, and a gravel base. The multiple layers work together to filter pollutants from water, allowing it to infiltrate into the groundwater supply uncontaminated.

What is the difference between a bioswale and a rain garden?

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.

What is a rain garden and how can it reduce stormwater runoff?

Soak Up the Rain: Rain Gardens. 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.

Is it OK to plant flowers in wet soil?

It really is best for your garden's long-term health to resist the urge to work the soil when it is still wet. Whether you use a tiller, plow or just a garden spade, working wet soil can badly compact soil, and the negative effects will last for many years.