A rain garden is a special, water loving garden that helps soak up rain water from your roof, driveway, or other hard surfaces. They are planted at low spots in your yard so that when it rains the water collects in the garden and the plants help the water soak into the ground.
Why should you have a rain garden?
Beautify your yard! Rain gardens are planted with beautiful flowers, colorful grasses, and even trees. They are flower gardens with a purpose!
Less yard work! An established rain garden needs little weeding or watering and they leave less yard to mow!
Save money! Compared to traditional gardens, rain gardens don’t need as much water or fertilizer since native plants are used (see below)!
Increase home value! Mature landscaping increases the value of your home!
Make a difference!
Filter storm water runoff - One of our major environmental problems is storm water runoff. Storm water runoff is the water the flows over impervious surfaces (buildings, roads, etc.) directly into a stream. This water carries pollutants like car oil, sediment, and fertilizers that destroy our streams and threaten our health. By collecting some of this water in your rain garden you can help filter out some of the pollutants!
Clean your stream - Any pollutants that your rain garden absorbs prevents them from reaching Jennifer Branch or the Bay! Cleaner water is safer and healthier for you and your family!
Grow native plants - One key to a successful, low maintenance rain garden is using native species. Native plants are adapted to Maryland’s climate so they can handle our seasonal droughts with little watering and don’t need as much fertilizer to grow in Maryland soils. Less fertilizer means less nutrient pollution in the Chesapeake Bay, and native plant populations help support native wildlife!
If you’d like to have a rain garden installed or for more information please contact us:
Peggy Perry - Project Manager
(9am-3pm Tues. - Fri.)
pperry@gunpowderfalls.org
Rachel Streusand
Assistant Project Manager
Email
Diane Brazil
Community Outreach Coordinator
Email
