Rain Gardens in the Mid-Atlantic

We came from here, following coleup's lead: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=9458595

I don't think my planned rain garden would qualify for the generous Rainscape rebates that Montgomery Co offers. One, it wouldn't be big enough (there are calculations you have to follow to qualify) for the amount of roof space I have. Two, I already have most of the plants that I need, so I wouldn't get reimbursed for the plants. It turns out plants that are happy in my wet clay are also good rain garden plants. Go figure. :) Three, I don't plan on following the recommended design, such as building a berm on the downhill side of it. This is because it'll be partially backed up against the brick composting bin that I built.

Some of the plants that I'm wintersowing will go in the water garden, such as a couple of different varieties of milkweed. I'm thinking about planting the brug that Gita gave me at the edge of it, since they like consistent moisture.

Does anyone already have a rain garden, either formal or informal? What kind of plants do you have? Do you have any pictures?

I'm excited about this. Thanks for starting this thread.

Last weekend I attended a workshop on Raingardens and this weekend I'll be doing "Shoreline Restoration and Native Plants so I have some notes and info to inject.

As I understand it, Rain Gardens are one of the ways to deal with storm water that falls on our yards before it goes out to the Chesapeake Bay water shed , carrying with it pollutants and silt , two of the biggest contributers to Bay decline.

I have one raingarden by my front downspout and another larger project involving an asphalted drainage ditch about 300' long in the front of my property that I am gradually filling in with plants on hand. I estimate that I have decreased runoff about 50% but think I can do better. My fear is that the Roads crews will appear one day and destroy it all and repave it!

Pic 1 ditch before with two fawns in my yard
Pic 2 ditch after planting wineberries Yes, I know, 'invasive') after laying 20' of plastic culvert and lots of wheel barrows full of aged mulch/compost
Pic 3 down spot raingarden in its full Spring lushness!

I'm 'watching.'
Coleup you will make a difference with 300' of slowed down drainage water. I think asphalt is somewhat permeable, and probably there are some cracks too. Yes the road crew might have it on their schedule to keep it clear but, road crews don't have so much extra money for that these days.

And your third pic should show people not to think they will be swampy and unsightly. The opposite!!!

The run off from my neighborhood goes straight into one of the branches of the Anacostia River.

Judy, that workshop sounds interesting!

Sally, I really want to get a rain barrel for the other downspout, but I can't find anything that's big enough and also "pretty" enough. :P

Hey sallyg, your rain barrels are another approach to storm water management! I just realized that if I re hang my back gutter so it downspouts on the opposite end, that I can put a rain barrel or two and use it to water some plants! Where it drains now is pretty inaccessible . How are your barrels doing? Of course,we all wonder if we will have stormwater to manage or a drought like last several years? Last year I had to water my fern raingarden several times because I needed the lush look! lol, the plants there could have managed just fine with some brown fronds here and there.



Facts About Stormwater

Stormwater pollution is the #1 source of water pollution in the United States.
*

The # 1 pollutant in stormwater by volume is sediment.
*

Fewer than half of American dog owners pick up after their pets. Pet waste in stormwater pollutes water with nutrients and bacteria.
*

One quart of motor oil disposed of improperly can create an oil slick two acres in size!
*

Measured in acres, lawns would be the fifth largest U.S crop (after corn, soy, wheat, and hay).
*

5.7 million pounds of nitrogen and 4.2 million pounds of phosphorous are carried into the Bay via stormwater runoff from fertilized lawns and agricultural fields.
*

Septic systems must be checked every year and pumped every 3 to 5 years. Many homeowners
don't even know they have septic systems!

Following here also. Love your plan, coleup!

So when signs say, 'curb your dog' that is not a good.

Rain barrel articles in DG
http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/tagged.php?tag=Rain%20Barrels

I like having rainwater handy most every time that I need water for potted plants. Or to fill watering cans. I like that my barrel is near the garden and far from the hose, = convenience. As supplement to my garden, fifty gallons is hardly enough to make a difference.

Sorry for slight veering to left of the topic, if not off.
Every little bit helps with stormwater runoff and rain gardens, and the Bay , sadly , needs a LOT of help. . I'm sure that it is satisfying to watch a rain garden pool up during the rain.

But just look at the stormwater going down the side of the road....

I definitely need to get rain barrels -- that will help a lot with the runoff.

happy--

Home depot carries a couple different kinds...but not a great selection.
Homedepot.com may have a better selection. Besides--they can now ship any order to your
closest store and you just pick it up there. No shipping costs that way.
I bet there would be FREE shipping to your house as well--as it is an over $45 order.

G.

Local stores are carrying rain barrels- often just one model or two. There are zillions out there on the Web. Also choices in how you alter the downspout to get the water IN the barrel. I have an article that shows links to some choices there
http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/3824/
Again apologize if we are getting off topic

Thanks! As I thought about it last night, we have underground drains from our downspouts to the street, so our gutters shouldn't be the source of the runoff we have. We have done several environmentally incorrect things, though, that I'm sure are a source of the increased runoff. We expanded our flagstone patio by about 1/3, and also have been removing a lot of ivy from the way back in anticipation of doing a lot of planting back there. While I love the idea of a rain barrel for environmental reasons, my first priority right now is to attack the erosion so I'm going to hold off on the rain barrel for the moment.

<>
Makes a rain barrel pretty challenging

You're to be commended for addressing the other erosion problem.



This message was edited Mar 24, 2013 12:57 PM

Ugh, this is a frustrating project!

I do only raised beds now, so I haven't had to dig down in my clay for a little while. Today I remembered why i only do sheet mulching these days. After about 2-3 inches of wet clay, it's basically a sheet of hardpan clay. There's no way to break up the rock except to whack at it with an ax.

This rocky clay acts like a bowl and water just sits on top of it. I don't know if this is going to work! It took forever to dig down 6 inches. of a 1x3 area. Whew! I have "before" pics that I'll post later tonight!

If you wait until a day after a good rain it should be easier. Early spring should be the best time to get through that clay.

If you have too much clay and start a bed even amending the soil you can get what is known as a clay pan, these can cause problems for a couple of reasons. Excess water can build up and the water never goes away quickly enough to leach minerals and salts that build up over time. Raised beds can avoid this but so can a double dig. Double digging can be achieved by digging out a row of topsoil and laying it aside, then digging a second shovel-depth from that row and so on. A reasonable alternative is to do this on every 3rd-4th row. You will also get the same effect by digging post holes every so often through out the bed. By amending beds with compost, or whatever you may use, you raise the bed a bit each time but will still have the underlying problem.
Clay pan can cause problems in septic fields for the same reason. If the clay is too deep, the drainage perks up thru the disturbed soil easier than leaching down through the compacted clay.
I added a rain garden in front of the barn after it was built to collect runoff from the sloping yard. It did help but should have been twice as deep and wide. Landscaping with selected trees and shrubs can also help control runoff. Willows, Sycamore, Birches, and pussy willow are a few that come to mind, They will thrive and act as a buffer at the edge of a sloping field.

Ric, thank you for the helpful hints!

I didn't realize it until you mentioned it, but essentially I'm double digging the rain garden bed. I've set aside the top soil (which is only about an inch of composted mulch) and I'm digging out and throwing away several inches of this rocky clay. But there's still a ton of digging left to do. After yesterday's rain/snow, the water just sat on top of this rocky layer. : /

> digging post holes every so often through out the bed

This is a fantastic idea!

> Willows, Sycamore, Birches, and pussy willow

I'm on 1/6 of an acre, so I'm afraid I don't have room for big trees. I'm going to end up using a lot of shorter grasses.

I'm a little late to the discussion here. But better late than never, so they say.

I have always wanted to make a rain barrel out of an old bourbon barrel. When I was looking in to it a few years ago, they were about $100. I never did pull the trigger. Some day though, some day.

Terp, just the other day, I saw old whiskey barrel on craigslist for $75. Old barrels pop upon craigslist occasionally. One of these I'm going to make the purchase, too.

We have a local guy that sells all kinds of drums for $10 ea. Even the plastic ones are easy to paint with Krylon, even easier to attach plumbing to. Once painted you could decorate however you want.
https://www.google.com/search?q=painted+rain+barrels&oe

use the above link and click on images tab at the top of the page, I couldn't get a hyperlink setup to it.

This message was edited Mar 26, 2013 8:07 PM

Link to last years thread on rain barrels
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1266488/

I have pictures! I'm having an awful time downloading the pictures from my phone, but here are a few of the before pics.

The first picture is the backyard downspout.

The second pic is where the water currently drains -- between the shed and the composting area, under the fence, into my back neighbor's yard. Ugh.

The third pic is where the rain garden is going, in front of the composting area (which is not yet complete, as you can see).

It's already been partially dug up and the cinder blocks have been put away. It's a big muddy mess right now!

You can see some of my wintersown containers in the milk crate.

I like your stone faux streambed

This message was edited Mar 27, 2013 11:30 PM

Thanks, Sally. I really should have made it wider at the bottom, but that's going to have to wait until next year.

I've just about given up on my rain garden project. :(

I don't think I have the strength to dig the hole as deep as is needed. It's pretty much all bedrock that needs to be broken up, one teeny piece at a time. Wetting it doesn't help, because it's not clay but solid rock.

I feel like I'm in a chain gang!

I saw on Craigslist a local store selling clean foodgrade-quality plastic 60 gallon barrels I would love to pick up, for $18. I've been wanting rain barrels for a while, as I had one & used it for everything long ago in Texas.

That's an awesome price Barb! I'd be snatching up a few of those. too. What all did you use yours for?


ssgardener are you feeling abandoned? Beleagured? Utterly frustrated? Mud encrusted? All of the above?

If your house wasn't there all that rain that comes down your downspouts would be spread out over a much wider area of soil-over -rock/hardpan ( Good article here http://aroundtheyard.com/soil/hardpan-t1081.html )
And it would probably not pond up except in heavy flood warning type storms or be too muddy to walk on.

Is the downspout in your pics above where you want to put rain barrels? One or two there would go a long way to slowing the flow across your yard I would think. with overflow into your 'dry' creek bed. You could face them or enclose them with brick to match your house or paint them.

Here is a source I'm looking at for less expensive rain barrels and other goodies. They recently advertized on craigslist just barrel for $25
http://www.veterancompost.com/our-products-1/

PS I love your garden elephant and beautiful stepping stones

The recommendation to get a few was nixed rathah quickly by The Man. I love him so, I do, but I wish he'd nay my stupid ideas, such as the bougainvilleas I have no place to grow, but have anyway, and jump wholeheartedly onto things like rain barrels. There's just no understanding a man sometimes. LOL

Barb, sounds like another case of "Jack Spratt syndrome"!

To avoid my eventual embarrassment, I Googled Jack Spratt syndrome, and it's diabetes. Ok, I give. Slow on the uptake .... what is that, Cole? (Red's becoming my color!)

No, Barb, color me red.

I meant the old nursery rhyme :

"Jack Spratt could eat no fat,
His wife could eat no lean,
So bewixt them both.
They licked the platter clean."

Always seemed like the perfect match to me even if they were "opposites'! Meaning in this instance that you and The Man sound like a good lovely and lively pair!

Edited to add that it seems in addition to Spell check I also need Google check before I post!

This message was edited Apr 3, 2013 11:53 AM

LOL I'm ignorant. I finally realized that. That fits perfectly! Nope, you got it, right on. I'm only halfway paying attention here, as I'm searching desperately for what to do with my little apple trees. I'll try to single-track. :o)
Love, hugs 'n' kisses,

Mrs. Spratt

Coleup, the rain barrel would go by another down spout, near the vegetable bed.

I'm thinking about obtaining actual bog plants, not rain garden plants, for that area. I did a percolation test, and the water just sat there in the hole. I got tired of checking it, so I don't know how long it sat there before draining!

Speaking of hubbies, I wish mine would help me dig out this #$@% hole...

How much do you think it would to hire someone to dig out some rock?

sparklin barb- some men...lol. Mine proudly rescued and brought me a lovely rusted barrel from the woods for our fire pit...wanna trade??

ssg, any big boys/ young men around there? Even a skinny 16 yr old can be surprisingly strong and helpful...ask me how I know LOL

Its actual continuous rock or continuous rocklike hardpan? WOW. I just dunno....most 'crews' would figure they have to bring in the bobcat and make a total mess of the yard.
: ^(

Sally, about 3 inches down, it stops looking like clay and more like.. rock? Gee, I'm terrible at geology! It's rock that sometimes comes apart in small chunks, and sometimes crumbles into small pebbly, sandy looking pieces. Yes, it's continuous hardpan throughout.

No big boys or strong men around here, I'm afraid. Or none who are willing! DH is actually very sweet and will say yes to anything, but the issue is WHEN. I don't feel like staring at that mound of dirt for the next 6 months, LOL.

Sally, I WANT a big ol' rusted barrel! We've got this nonsensical burn ban in our county now. No open fires until after 4 PM. Well, by that time, you've got a good gale going full force, with no winds in the early mornings. I believe I could burn what needs to be burned in your barrel, legally, in the calm of morning. :o)

Here are some rain barrels and all that from homedepot.com.

Make sure you see if it is ONLY On-Line--or also available in the store.

New policy with HD---You can now order on-line and have it shipped to your HD of choice
and pick things up there. Just 'search" for anything you want once on line.

Here's the Rain Barrel Link;

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1vZbx72/h_d2/Navigation?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053&searchRedirect=rain+barrels&redAB=B

Abd--further below the HD link--there are links to other places for rain barrels.
This one id from E-bay--I think. "Super Cheap Rain Barrels"....

http://www.best-deal.com/search/landing/query/rain+barrels/s/google/koid/4723438499/gkaid/66148592/adid/2300424992/gkyid/18687070457/?query=rain+barrels&gclid=COqLjeKQsrYCFQdU4Aod5iwAuw

This message was edited Apr 4, 2013 6:10 PM

I have an update!

I had considered giving up on my rain garden when I got tired of digging out my impossibly hard soil. But greenthumb99 came to the rescue! He stopped by this weekend to drop off some wonderful natives and to give me some advice on my rain garden project.

He says underneath a few inches of clay, I have what's called saprolite. It's a layer of partially decomposed rock, just above the bedrock layer. Apparently, it's not necessary to dig out any of the saprolite, so I can just stop at the layer where the clay stops.

HOORAY! No more scraping away rocks one tablespoon at a time!

My goal is to dig out all the clay this weekend! I hope to transplant the rain garden plants by the end of this week. I have a new phone now so I'll be documenting all this. Thanks again to greenthumb!

Hip, hip hooray for green thumb!!!

That's fantastic news! Greenthumb, you are an amazing resource.