Enhance Your Landscape While Effectively Managing Run-Off in Your Outdoor Space
What is a Rain Garden?
An eco-friendly solution to manage run-off while creating a beautiful garden space.
In this guide, we will take you through the process of assessing drainage issues, getting started with construction and implementing smart strategies to control downspout run-off. Let’s turn your yard into haven that is not only beautiful, but serves a vital environmental purpose
Assessing Your Drainage Issues
When we first moved to our home, the extensive restoration project was just getting started. With that came dumpsters, port-a-pots, trucks, lumber storage, and lots of foot traffic.
It was summer and the season of drenching thunderstorms was upon us. I knew before I did anything, I needed to pay close attention when it rained, to figure out where it was coming from and where it was going. The “going” became pretty obvious. The “coming” was another problem all together. It was coming from everywhere!
After the construction was over and the dumpsters were removed, we were left with a yard full of tire tracks and ruts. When the dumpster was being removed, the truck became stuck in the mud and proceeded to tear up the yard on the way. The contractor agreed to bring us a load of topsoil, which we distributed where needed. This only added to our drainage issues. Now we had nothing stopping the deluge of rain we were receiving.
This was a hard rain during the time we were putting in the garden path. There is no grass and too late in the season to plant any. We need a solution to get through the winter.
Oddly, I thought our yard was completely flat, but apparently it was not. It only takes a slight grade to create huge problems in your yard. It was coming from our gravel parking pad outside our privacy fence in the rear, from the small strip of yard outside the privacy fence on the left side of the above picture and from the side of the house where the downspouts are not being directed, causing flooding during hard rains.
I knew that once we were able to establish a small grass lawn and plant the rest of the yard in vegetables and flowers, that the water would be absorbed along its way to the low spot, but until then, which could take a year, I needed to do what I could do…fast.
Note: Keep in mind that I am not a professional. I learned from my dad that if there is a problem, fix it, so that is what I set out to do. Your situation may be much different than mine and you may need approval and design done by local authorities.
Getting Started
I started digging up the area that receives the most rain. Luckily this area already drains really well due to the sandy soil, so I was able to do this when it was dry. I didn’t want it to be obvious that it was a rain garden, so I did not dig too deep and used what I dug up to create a berm on the low side.
I tapered the berm toward the yard so that it masked the height of the berm. Then I thought about adding gravel to the dirt to allow for better drainage, but I didn’t have any, but what I did have an abundance of was mulch, so I dug in wheelbarrow loads of it, which worked well.
I was lucky enough to find that our local arboretum was having a fall sale, and I was able to find lots of native plants that could handle growing in damp ground, for a short time, and also grow well when the rainwater had absorbed.
It is hard to see, but at the bottom of this photo there is a gradual rise to create the berm The Iris on the left and the two shrubs on the right are on top of the berm and there is a small depression which holds the water until it is absorbed.
We have sandy soil, so if you have a lot of clay or rocky soil, you may need to add lots of gravel in the lowest section and in worse case scenarios, plant your garden in the higher areas of the rain garden until you have time to monitor the absorption rate. You may find that after some adjustments in your yard, such as managing downspout run-off, you will be able to plant lower in the pond.
Creating a Stream
I decided that the worst offender was the west side of our home. This area gets little sunlight and is only 10 feet wide. There is a 6-foot privacy fence that divides our property from our neighbor. Luckily there was no water coming from them, but there was water going to them from our yard. They are lovey and never said anything, but we want to be good neighbors, so this was my priority.
I decided to start by creating a little gravel stream that would not only direct the water to the rain garden, but it would and a backdrop for a woodland garden in an area easily overlooked.
I took a shovel and followed the ruts that had been created by downspouts, AC drains and sump pump discharge. I then laid down a garden fabric that would allow water to soak through but would prevent weeds. Then I added pond stone followed by pea gravel and directed this drainage stream to the rain garden
I then trimmed the fabric and added mulch.
Next, I planted along the stream bed. Because this area is shady, I used hostas, ferns, and spring bulbs. I also brought in large rock to enhance the natural look of a stream in the woods.
It worked!!!! You will notice above the bush on the right side, there is runoff coming from two gutters. So, next I had to tackle that issue.
To control downspout runoff, there are a number of options to try. We have used a black vinyl downspout extension or just a piece of downspout with an elbow on some of the downspouts to direct the flow toward the rain garden.
Success! Now this will stop the water until beds can be planted.
Success! The wet area on the left will be planted with a cottage garden in the Spring. Until then, the berm will hold the rainwater until it can be absorbed. The flooded area on the right is the rain garden in its early stage.
I also went outside our privacy fence on the east side and dug a shallow trench, using that dirt to create another berm. This absorbed most of the water before it reached my garden.
I used all native plants to assure that they would adjust quickly and attract the beneficial insects in the area.
First hard rain after installing the rain garden. Worked great and drained within 24 hours. You can see some of the plants have already been placed. I have to tell you that I was a little worried when I saw them in the middle of this much water, but they loved it.
Plants that I purchased for the rain garden:
Red Twig Dogwood
Ruby Spice Clethra
Fothergillia
Butterfly Milkweed
Joe Pye Weed
Monarda
Helenium
Swamp Azalea
Golden Ragwort
For the gravel stream:
Lady Ferns
Evergreen Wood Ferns
Eastern Wood Ferns
Cinnamon Ferns
Daffodil Bulbs
Tulip Bulbs
Early Dutch Iris bulbs
And a mix of hostas
These plants will not tolerate constant standing water, but there are many that will work. I recommend that you find an arboretum or nursery in your area that can help determine the best native plants that are in your area and can adapt to your rain garden’s drainage, light, and seasonal conditions.
