A rain garden is a space that absorbs and filters the rainwater. It is generally man-made with pavements. Curb Wise will be able to give you more ideas on how to build an efficient rain garden. You can find an informative article with a review of the rain garden design guide.
A Brief on Rain Garden
Rainwater will naturally get collected in the ground without any human interference. But with urban developments, we have covered the land space and ground area, making rain difficult to penetrate the sand.
Decades ago, we tried creating ditches and drainages to direct water into rivers and streams, known as urban run-off. As they became highly polluted with pesticides, fertilizers, litter, and gas, we were forced to find solutions that would filter the urban run-off.
Rain garden came into use which removed all the pollutants successfully. Besides serving us functionally, rain gardens can offer shade during summer for local wildlife and play the role of a habitat.
Learn How a Rain Garden Works
Gutters from residential spaces at times get emptied into sewage which reroutes storm-water to sinks, showers, and toilets. During such instances, the water overflows and gets redirected into oceans, rivers, or lakes. Eventually, the local sands and water bodies become devoid of rainwater.
When designing a rain garden, its basin is packed with plants so that they purify water by acting as bio-filters. Drought tolerant plants occupy the upper regions, which grow deep roots into the soil to access maximum groundwater.
A simple rain garden is created with a trough filled with gravel until the down-spout and then developed with a garden bed surrounding it. But if you create an elaborate rain garden, it will act as a haven for insects and birds.
Learn to Create a Rain Garden
The first step in creating a rain garden will be to identify a site that will be able to absorb more amounts of water. Then you must determine its shape and size. In order to design a reasonable size rain garden, it must be at least 150 square feet. Remove the grass or lawn prevailing in the selected spot. Then evacuate the basin using an excavator or a shovel. You can hire a professional person to do this job for you.
Create a trench to lay the pipe’s inlet. Fill the basin with soil by sloping the sides. Add compost for better results and pack the stones in the overflow area to prevent soil erosion. Finally, add plants by zoning them out according to the spaces available.
Place plants that will be able to manage stagnant water on the sides of the slopes. Plants that tolerate a wet environment should go to the centre of the rain garden. Last but not least, fill the inner portion of the rain garden with mulch up to 3 inches. This will help in preventing weeds from sprouting.
To Sum Up
You must check the depth of the mulch every year and replenish it whenever required. Rain gardens do not need fertilizers as they are already packed with compost. However, you must take precautionary measures to get rid of the weeds to ensure that the rain garden is at its best.