Rain Gardens: A Natural Way to Improve Rainwater Management in your Yard
A rain garden is a planted or stonecovered bed specifically designed to receive rainwater and allow it to be slowly absorbed into the soil (infiltration). Rain gardens are relatively easy and inexpensive to design and build, but there are a few considerations to ensure that they function effectively. The two most critical technical considerations are:
- Water must infiltrate and not stand in the bed for more than two days.
- Water should not create drainage problems on your property or neighbouring ones.
Beyond that, rain gardens can be naturalistic or more manicured, can include a variety of plants, and can be in various shapes. For the complete story, click on Rain Garden Fact Sheet by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. This provides information on designing and building a rain garden, as well as tips for improving rainwater management on individual residential properties.
Posted January 2009