What is a rain garden?
Rain gardens are landscaping features used to mimic the natural hydrological cycle where rainfall soaks into the ground rather than running off the land. If you’ve ever noticed a lot of water running off your property and into the street a rain garden can help minimize this issue. By planting the right plants in the right area, rain gardens help runoff infiltrate soil and improve water quality and quantity.
How do I build a rain garden?
The first step to ensuring a rain garden works to its fullest potential is deciding where the rain garden will be located. With the main goal of a rain garden being reducing water runoff, you want to select a flat area that drains well. Selecting an area near runoff sources (ex. Downspouts, driveways, gutters) and away from trees or tree roots is also important. Areas where water tends to stand for multiple days would not be a great location due to the possibility of bacteria buildup and an ideal mosquito habitat.
You’ll also need to determine the proper size and depth of your rain garden. To find out how to do this please visit this link. After determining the location, size, and depth of your rain garden it’s time to pick out your plants! Remember one of the main concepts of rain gardens is returning soil to the natural hydrological cycle before development started shaping landscapes in different ways. So, the plants you will want to explore adding to your rain garden should be plants native to the area you live in. For plants native to Indiana, check out Indy Urban Acres Plant Sale, linked here!
Once you have everything planned out it’s time to plant. After all the planting is done it’s time to enjoy the beauty of your new rain garden! Your hard work has paid off but don’t forget you’ll need to do some periodic maintenance of your rain garden. And remember, every time you look at your new rain garden you’ll be reminded of your efforts towards reducing water pollution, increasing water quality, and creating a bustling habitat for local pollinators.
What plants should I put in a rain garden?
As mentioned above, when selecting plants for your rain garden you’ll want to look at plants that are native to the area. Some of the key considerations you’ll want to address when picking plants include having one or two grass or sedge species in your plant line-up, light and moisture preferences, and growing habits (aggressive, short-lived, etc.). When first starting a rain garden it’s recommended to start with 3-4 different species for maintenance ease. Once your rain garden has established itself and you’ve got the hang of maintaining your plants you can always add more!
Below are some favorite picks from Indy Urban Acres!
Cardinal Flower
Marsh Milkweed
Foxglove Beardtongue
Purple Coneflower
Golden Alexander’s
For more resources and plant ideas please visit the links below!
Marion County SWCD
Step-by-step Guide and Common Native Plants: