I am now Rain Garden Certified!

I recently joined dozens of other landscape industry professionals to learn how and why to construct a rain garden for homeowners or businesses.

Much of it was a review for me, but to get into the details and actually build one was instrumental!

Why plant a rain garden?

With increasing urbanization, the soil doesn't get a chance to absorb rainwater and return it to the water table. Today many surfaces are impervious, so water runs off to places that aren't beneficial, such as streams and sewer drains. Along the way, the rain picks up pollutants and sediment and causes erosion to property and stream banks. 

Some of the factors that impact rain garden decisions:

• Size in relation to roof size
• Location
• Managing soil types
• How to construct, plant, and maintain suitable plants
• Other environmental factors

From a shallow depression to a fully planted and mulched garden!

The plants we used for this bed were: 

• Juncus effusus
• Panicum virgatum
• Carex typhina
• Carex crinita var. brevicrinis
• Vernonia noveboracesnsis
• Hibiscus moscheutos