Planning for (another) rainy day

I was wandering around our yard the other day thinking that the next project we should undertake is creating some sort of rain garden.

We know the importance of keeping as much of the rainwater ON our property as possible, rather than letting it run off. This slows down the runoff, helping to filter pollutants before the water reaches local water supplies. Helping to do our part to slow down pollution is one of the reasons that we  have rain barrels on several of our downspouts and why adding more to the other downspouts is on our ever-growing to-do list.

We also have very long drainage tubes attached to the overflow pipes of our rain barrels, which allows us to direct the water away from our house and into whatever area we choose. But so far, we haven’t taken advantage of that runoff by planting gardens of water loving plants.

Right now I’m still in the planning stage, doing a little research on what plants will work well in a rain garden and also survive on our shady property.

I’ve found a lot of great information on planning and designing rain gardens, and wanted to share some of it with you if the rainy days also have you seeking solutions for your soggy spots.

Rain Gardens – Arlington, VA website

Rain Garden Design and Construction Manual (pdf)

Beautifying Your Yard for Healthy Streams - Residential Rain Gardens – Many links on this page for more info (Northern Virginia Regional Commission)