--Emily DeBolt, owner Fiddlehead Creek Native Plant Nursery - all photographs courtesy of Emily DeBolt
What is a rain garden? A rain garden is a vegetated depression that collects stormwater runoff. Rain gardens are a great DIY project for homeowners to manage small amounts of stormwater on their own property. By directing runoff into the garden, the rain that falls on rooftops, driveways, and other impervious surfaces on your property infiltrates into the ground, recharging local and regional aquifers, instead of running off across the surface and eventually polluting local waterways. Rain gardens are beneficial in many ways In addition to helping keep local waterways clean by filtering stormwater runoff, rain gardens also can help alleviate problems with flooding and drainage. Rain gardens are pretty and functional, enhancing the beauty of yards and communities and providing valuable habitat and food for wildlife like birds and butterflies when planted with native plants. Rain gardens can reduce the need for expensive stormwater treatment structures in your community. Selecting Plants for the Garden Since a rain garden is flooded periodically, you need plants that can live in both wet and dry conditions. Plants in the middle of the garden where it is deepest should be the most adapted to very wet conditions, being able to be inundated for short periods of time. Plants on the edges of the garden should be able to be briefly inundated. Be sure to stabilize the berm around your garden that holds the water in grass or dry-tolerant native plants as well. Right Plant, Right Place You should consider if your site is sunny or shady when selecting plants. Remember – you need 6 hours or more or sun to be considered ‘full sun’. It is easiest to find plants that work well for rain gardens that need sun, so keep this in mind when planning out the location of your rain garden. Just like with any other garden, think about what variety of height, color, and blooming period you would like as well. Mix a variety of flowers, grasses, sedges, for different shapes and textures above, and different root depths below the surface. Shrubs are great in rain gardens too if you have the space. Consider planting flowers in masses of color to attract birds and butterflies. Follow the tricks the professionals use and group plants in odd-number clumps, using 3,5, or 7 of the same plant all together. This way your rain garden is not only stopping stormwater runoff but is also providing you with a beautiful landscape to enjoy all summer long. After you are done planting, mulch the garden. Don’t use bark mulch in the garden – it will float away. Hardwood mulches and pea gravel work well. Native Plants for Rain Gardens Native plants are a great choice for rain gardens. Planting natives helps protect New York’s biodiversity by providing food and habitat for birds, butterflies, and other wildlife. Natives have evolved in our environment over many years and many of our wetland and riparian species are adapted to alternating periods of wet and dry. The deep roots of natives absorb and filter runoff more effectively than the short roots of many turf grasses and other ornamental plants – making them a perfect fit for rain gardens! Here are some plants native to New York that are great for rain gardens. (This list is by no means exhaustive). For the very wet zone in the middle of the bottom of the garden.
For the moderately wet zone around the edge of the garden. All plants from the very wet list above work here as well as:
If you have questions about native plants for rain gardens, you can contact Emily at [email protected]. The nursery carries a wide selection of New York native plants for rain gardens. The Fiddlehead Creek website is www.fiddleheadcreek.com
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