Build a Rain Garden

Build a Rain Garden

When it rains, it pours! The pollutants carried by storm water seriously undermine the health of our oceans and the safe use of our beaches. As storm water rushes to the sea, it skips important ecological steps like slowing down, cooling and filtering by sinking into the earth. The best way to keep apace with this problem is to take steps to decrease water run-off from our personal property. Each of us can reduce the amount of rainwater that runs headlong off of buildings collecting nasty pollutants such as fertilizer and petroleum products as well as pet waste and trash. Rain gardens easily transform yards into giant sponges with local plants and can allow 30 percent of storm water run-off to soak into the ground and be cooled and filtered naturally. We can route rain through downspouts to a rain barrel to store for irrigation or through pipes that feed onto a 4”–8” deep, 100–300 square foot space with local plants that promote soil absorption. This is inexpensive to achieve and will immediately benefit homeowners, our local beaches and oceans. 

Artist: Lauri Burrier, “Build a Rain Garden” 

P.S.  I am going to see if we can do this at our house?  It makes so much sense.  What about you?  - Liam