Is A Rain Garden Right For Your Landscape?

Rain gardens are the latest trend in landscaping, helping to turn previously unusable portions of land into a beautiful and integral part of the landscape design. But how can you tell if a rain garden is right for your landscape?

If you have a low lying spot of ground that stays damp most of the time, or a place where most of your landscape's rain water collects and runs off, that is a prime location for a rain garden. A low lying wet, damp location of your landscape is an area that is difficult to grow anything in, an eyesore to any otherwise beautiful yard. But with a little work to amending the soil and proper plant choices, you can turn that wet eyesore into a lovely, virtually maintenance-free rain garden.

To decide if a rain garden is right for your landscape, first determine if there is a low lying spot of ground that remains damp or wet, like a spot that is located downhill from a downspout, or any concrete area around your house, where rain water naturally collects. Most plants and grasses will not survive in a spot that retains to much water, so the idea behind a rain garden is to plant flower and grasses that will tolerate excessive moisture and are sturdy enough to survive an onslaught of rain water run off.

Once you have determined a spot in your landscape that is the natural run-off and collecting spot for rain water, till the soil and work in at least an inch of compost or sphagnum peat. Keep the natural basin shape formation so the rain water will continue to collect there. This will help the soil drain, since even the most water tolerant land plants need can stand constantly being in water.

Choose plants for the lowest part of your rain garden prefer moist soil. Working your way up in the rain garden by next setting in plants that prefer moist to average soil, and around the outer perimeter of the rain garden, set out plants that prefer average to dry soil conditions.

Place rocks or hardwood mulch around the plants in your rain garden to prevent soil erosion during rainy spells and retina moisture during dry spells.