ENVIRONMENT
Rain Gardens are a beautiful way to protect water quality
Homeowners in Wisconsin can preserve water quality - a few buckets at a time - and beautify their property at the same time by constructing a rain garden.
A rain garden is a slightly sunken perennial garden that collects rainwater from a roof or paved area and allows it to seep into the soil, rather than run off into storm sewers and, eventually, lakes and streams.
"Sometimes, people feel frustrated by complex environmental problems because it seems there is little anyone can do to make a difference," says Suzanne Wade, a University of Wisconsin natural resources educator who works on programs in the Rock River Basin. "A rain garden, however, is something an individual can do protect the environment. It is a way for people to do the right thing. And the gardens are a beautiful addition to a home."
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Rain gardens differ from ordinary perennial gardens because they are planted in a shallow, flat-bottomed earthen bowl. This bowl is then filled with native perennial flowering plants. Popular choices include Sunflower, Black-eyed Susan, Liatris, Gay Feather, Blue Flag Iris, Purple Cone Flower, Cardinal Flower, and Golden Alexander.
"The gardens should have a mix of flowers that bloom at different times of the year for a steady show of color," Wade advised.
These gardens benefit the environment because they increase the amount of water filtering into the ground, recharging groundwater and reducing the amount of pollutants washing into lakes and streams. They can help prevent flooding and drainage problems, reduce shoreline erosion, and provide valuable wildlife habitats. If enough people constructed rain gardens, they could even reduce the need for costly municipal storm water treatment structures.
Rain gardens are easy to construct and maintain, similar to any perennial garden, Wade said. The biggest jobs are excavating and preparing the sunken planting bed and pulling weeds until the perennial plants become established. Once the garden is growing, it needs no watering or fertilizing.
"Some people ask if a rain garden is a breeding place for mosquitoes," Wade said. "it is not. Water only stands in the depression for only one to two days before it is absorbed into the soil, so mosquitoes eggs and larva cannot survive there."
Wade says that building rain gardens in parks, or near municipal buildings, schools and churches makes a great community service project for schools and civic organizations.
More information about how to construct and plant a rain garden is available in two University of Wisconsin-Extension publications: "Rain Gardens: A household way to improve water quality in your community" and "Rain Gardens: A how-to manual for homeowners." Both can be downloaded free of charge at http://clean-water.uwex.edu/pubs/raingarden/index.html.
Contact: Suzanne Wade, (920) 674-7295
E-mail:suzanne.wade@ces.uwex.edu
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