Rain Gardens

Anybody else have a rain garden? Native plants helping to recycle water and keep it out of the sewer system. Here's a pic of mine in it's first year. Coreopis, Joe Pye Weed, Echinacea, Switch grass, Sweet flag, Cardinal lobelia. All except the lobelia came up this year, plus it's my Dame's Rocket's year to bloom. I know that's not native, but it & the day lilies were aleady there. That's a Korean Lilac in back (also non-native). For more info on rain gardens see Kansas City's "10,000 rain gardens" site.

You did a very nice job on this rain garden. I don't have one on my property. When it was built on
it was landscaped so that no water drains onto the road or storm water system but goes
down hill into the ravine behind the house. When we moved in I found out that a property up hill
from us was draining all of they rain water from the roof and patio onto my front steps. I talked to
the neighbours but nothing came of this conversation, so I started working on a series of swales/berms.
It is still work in progress. I'l post pictures tomorrow.

We do have a number of public rain gardens created in the city by enthusiasts. Next time we bike
I'll take a picture of one that I particularly like.

Every rain garden needs a berm or swale, so the uphill side of a berm is a great place for rain garden plants! The idea is to find plants which can survive & thrive with periods of wet feet and periods of drought. They are usually native. If you have any deep rooted trees, like oaks, put a berm between them and your house. They can empty a wet area really fast. So when you plant around the berms, look at the natives! Sounds like a lot of water headed for the ravine... do you have rain barrels? So convenient for watering the lawn & garden. I always think, oh boy! free water! everytime it rains. The one I have looks like a big clay pot, even though it's made of recycled plastic. That must be icky to have the neighbors water on your steps when it rains! Good luck.PS. I did that rain garden by myself & I am an old lady with arthritis! Easy-peasy! (I'm really only 54, but some days I feel really ancient!) I'll put up an updated pic when the echinacea blooms.

anything blooming yet?

I'm very interested in rain gardens

thanks

Janet

The coreopsis is out & it looks better than last year. The echinacea (cone flowers) & the dame's rocket have buds. The painted fern is done for a while I think. Oh, and the daylilies are getting ready to go crazy. It's raining like the dickens in Kansas City; another good year for tomatoes! My holly is blooming, too. It isn't in the picture; later addition. -kc-