Spring will be here before you know it. Instead of planning to plant a conventional garden perhaps you may be interested in planting a rain garden! And we have just the manual to help you make your very own!
Here is a quick refresher on why rain gardens are important.
The west basin of Lake Erie has been seriously impacted by rain water runoff which carries contaminants and phosphorous which in turn fuels large blooms of toxic algae. Rain gardens are green infrastructure than can mitigate this runoff. Rain gardens are constructed around drains and catch basins to collect rainwater before it goes into the subsurface system. Native plants are chosen for their ability to filter contaminants and having high uptakes for phosphorous. The first flush of rain is often the most contaminated so even small rain events can be detrimental to water quality and with a rain garden should greatly reduce that water from ever reaching the storm drains.