Rain gardens rock at capturing and slowing rainwater, allowing it to seep slowly into the ground so pollutants can be filtered out. Dig it:
Rain, rain, won’t you stay? (via USCapitol)
Rain is a good thing, right? Right—except for when it runs right off the land, picking up pollution all along the way. When fertilizers, herbicides, and oils are carried through drains across hard surfaces, they end up in our rivers, lakes, and oceans.
Enter, rain gardens, the visually pleasing and water-friendly way many people are now capturing rainwater where it falls. By directing storm water run-off into these shallow, vegetated depressions in the landscape, rainwater is held long enough to seep into the ground.
That’s a good thing, because with the right plants growing, pollutants are filtered out or broken down as they move through the soil and into the groundwater supply. Plus, a rain garden with native plants can be a beautiful, low-maintenance, and low-cost way to attract birds and butterflies, too!
Your garden may start in the gutter, but it can end up bringing clean water and new life to the land. Let’s start digging!
Take action:
- Try out this DIY rain garden with step-by-step instructions from This Old House
- Score all the info you need to maintain a rain garden, thanks to the University of Rhode Island
- Check out an Oregon water conservation district’s rain garden building how-tos
The fine print:
- This segment was produced in partnership with Cornell’s Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future
