How to Make a Rain Garden

Rain gardens are a simple and effective way to improve the local water quality and enhance the natural environment. They are a great project for outdoor home, office or other community spaces.

You might be asking yourself “what is a rain garden?” A rain garden is a bowl shaped, perennial garden designed to absorb storm water run-off from impervious surfaces. They can be small and simple or large and complex. They can dramatically improve the impact that built environments have on the natural environment, especially in urban areas.

In densely populated areas the ground is covered by structures, pavements, cements and bricks. The result is an unnatural charge of precipitation to streams and rivers that has not followed the natural hydrologic process. In these conditions, rainwater and snowmelt rush over man made surfaces (including grass and turf) collecting pollutants such as oil, gas, fertilizers and pesticides. Rather than filtering through vegetation, these polluted waters, known as storm water runoff, deposit directly into surface water bodies. Studies indicate that up to 70% of pollution in streams, rivers and lakes was carried by storm water and about half of this pollution is from residential activities. In addition to being polluted, the volume of storm water runoff can burden streams and rivers leading to serious flooding.

It may seem like a small drop in the proverbial bucket, but any size rain garden has a positive impact on water quality. Any time rain or snow returns to the ground to be absorbed it alleviates some of the storm water runoff and creates a positive chain reaction.