Rain gardens
Let your garden water itself!
At Minnetonka’s Civic Center campus, shown above, storm water is directed into rain gardens where it infiltrates into the ground and provides needed water to the native plants, shrubs and trees that inhabit these green spaces.
Have you been trying to find a solution to that wet spot in your yard or that little stream from your downspout? Think about building a small rain garden to capture that water and use it to your advantage.
Building a rain garden may be as simple or complex as your desire. However, most rain gardens are shallow depressions planted with attractive vegetation that are created to capture storm water and allow it to infiltrate into the ground rather than run off the surface. Below is a brief list of steps you can follow to create your own:
- Location
- Find a spot away from your foundation where water tends to flow from your home or yard. Note which direction it flows. You will need to maintain this direction for any overflow from the rain garden during a heavy storm. Avoid locations under trees and near underground utility lines (contact Gopher-State One Call before you dig).
- Check your soil
- Dig one or more small test pits at different depths and fill them with water until the soil is saturated (let it sit and refill). Determine the rate of infiltration in inches per hour. You may need to choose a different spot if the soil does not drain well.
- Create the basin
- Dig no deeper than what will drain in 72 hours and keep the garden relatively level and shallow (roughly 4 to 8 inches deep is usually sufficient). Use the excess soil to berm the down slope edge.
- Prepare the bed
- Till the soil deeply. Tilling peat moss or compost deep into the soil will reduce compaction and help root growth.
- Plant
- Select plants that will tolerate occasionally-wet soils. Many native species are suited to rain gardens due to their deep roots that increase infiltration. Consider using plants that will attract birds and butterflies.
- Mulch
- Installing wood mulch around the plants will help minimize weeding. Avoid lining with a weed barrier.
Remember that your drinking water comes from the ground below you. Capturing water near its source eliminates many of the pollutants that are collected when water runs along the surface. Rain gardens can help filter pollutants before they reach groundwater, helping to keep our drinking water clean. This summer when it gets hot, treat yourself to a cool glass of clean water and let that garden take care of itself.
View a short video on the installation of a rain garden.
Adapted from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Adapted from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
