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Help your local watershedBy creating a rain garden
Help your local watershedBy creating a rain garden
Presented by OOB/Saco Alternative EducationPresented by OOB/Saco Alternative Education
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What is a rain garden?What is a rain garden?
A rain garden is a natural way to help protect our water resources.
A rain garden works by collecting run-off water from roofs and parking lots into a dug out depression.
As the run-off water soaks into the rain garden it is filtered by native plants and absorbed back into the ground.
This helps to protect our Saco watershed!
A rain garden is a natural way to help protect our water resources.
A rain garden works by collecting run-off water from roofs and parking lots into a dug out depression.
As the run-off water soaks into the rain garden it is filtered by native plants and absorbed back into the ground.
This helps to protect our Saco watershed!
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What we did:What we did:
1st step: calculated a garden space that would catch 30% of the run-off from the learning center roof
2nd step: designed our 300 square ft. garden space to be kidney-shaped. You can chose any shape you like.
1st step: calculated a garden space that would catch 30% of the run-off from the learning center roof
2nd step: designed our 300 square ft. garden space to be kidney-shaped. You can chose any shape you like.
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Choose Native Plants for your garden
Choose Native Plants for your garden
Why it is important to use Native plants?
they filter the pollution better
adapted to native soil and climate
Why it is important to use Native plants?
they filter the pollution better
adapted to native soil and climate
Plant suggestionsPlant suggestions
Choose a variety of perennial plant sizes for your rain garden
Choose native hardy varieties that can withstand both wet conditions and dry
Order enough plants to cover 1 every 2 ft (remember they will spread)
Order larger plants for the center and smaller/ground covers for the berm
Choose a variety of perennial plant sizes for your rain garden
Choose native hardy varieties that can withstand both wet conditions and dry
Order enough plants to cover 1 every 2 ft (remember they will spread)
Order larger plants for the center and smaller/ground covers for the berm
We planted:
For the center: Dogwood, Fother Gila, & high bush blueberries
For the mid section: black-eyed susans, medium bush blueberries, mallows, hollyhocks, & daisies
For the berm: Bearberry and low lying juniper
We planted:
For the center: Dogwood, Fother Gila, & high bush blueberries
For the mid section: black-eyed susans, medium bush blueberries, mallows, hollyhocks, & daisies
For the berm: Bearberry and low lying juniper
Steps 3 & 4:Steps 3 & 4:
3: Dig a depression at least 1 ft. below the sod from edge to edge to catch the rain water run-off. Remove sod and dirt to the outer edges facing away from the roof (or parking area) to create the ‘berm’ (the farther edge built up to create a bowl).
4: Make sure that you dig your garden’s lowest point in the middle
3: Dig a depression at least 1 ft. below the sod from edge to edge to catch the rain water run-off. Remove sod and dirt to the outer edges facing away from the roof (or parking area) to create the ‘berm’ (the farther edge built up to create a bowl).
4: Make sure that you dig your garden’s lowest point in the middle
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Steps 5 & 6Steps 5 & 6
5: Cover your depression with 3 to 4 inches of top soil mixed with compost
6: Overlap layers of landscape fabric parallel to the roof over your entire garden area except for the berm
5: Cover your depression with 3 to 4 inches of top soil mixed with compost
6: Overlap layers of landscape fabric parallel to the roof over your entire garden area except for the berm
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Start Planting!!Start Planting!!
7: Cut an X through the landscape fabric where you want to transplant your new plant
8: Dig a hole bigger than the root ball of your new plant, place it in the hole with the root ball 1/4 in. above the surface and cover with soil.
Last but not least, spread a thick layer of good quality mulch over the entire garden and then WATER!!
7: Cut an X through the landscape fabric where you want to transplant your new plant
8: Dig a hole bigger than the root ball of your new plant, place it in the hole with the root ball 1/4 in. above the surface and cover with soil.
Last but not least, spread a thick layer of good quality mulch over the entire garden and then WATER!!
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A Complete Rain Garden!!!A Complete Rain Garden!!!
Our Rain Garden was made possible by generous grants from the Dept. of Environmental Protection & KIDS Consortium
We encourage everyone to come and see our garden at 80 Common St. and to make a rain garden on your property, too!
Our Rain Garden was made possible by generous grants from the Dept. of Environmental Protection & KIDS Consortium
We encourage everyone to come and see our garden at 80 Common St. and to make a rain garden on your property, too!
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