A Rain Garden Can Stop Spring Storms From Ruining Your Yard
Spring means preparing your garden or yard for the busiest time of the year for your plants, but heavy rainfall can stifle your efforts. A rain garden can help divert streams of water from spring showers so the rest of your yard stays in bloom.
A rain garden works by directing water to a specific area of your yard and then absorbing that water like a sponge. Installing one of these takes a bit of work, but if your area is prone to heavy rainfall it might be worth spending the weekend and renting a digging machine for renovations that will take years. Here are the key elements of an effective rain garden:
- A platform capable of draining water at a rate of at least half an inch per hour. In this article from This Old House, you will learn how to test different areas of your yard.
- Pipes for directing water from gutters to the rain garden.
- Sandy soil that absorbs and removes water well. You may need to mix this with the soil you removed from the rain garden area to make room for the plants.
- Stones to prevent soil erosion. You don’t want your special soil to be washed away by the rain!
- Plants that tolerate standing water. You should have three categories: plants that like drier conditions, plants that tolerate standing water well, and plants that tolerate standing water well.
You will need to dig soil on the garden plot, as well as create pipe routes that will direct the water from the gutters into the garden. It’s easier if you rent an excavator, but you can also dig by hand. After you have dug your rain garden, cover it with suitable soil and plan where the rocks and plants will go. Place rocks around the edge of your garden to keep the soil from eroding over time. Plants that can withstand wet conditions should be in the center as they stay wet the longest after rain. It’s not the easiest yard project, but it will pay off when the spring storms hit.