Everything to know about rain gardens
Rain gardens, the one great thing when the weather turns, well, wet.
A natural drainage solution, rain gardens are not only aesthetically pleasing adding to your natural landscape, but they’re also a great and sustainable way to help remove excess water from pooling and causing water damage to surrounding areas.
Collecting and gathering rainwater and using it in the surrounding soil, rain gardens also play a vital role in preventing stormwater from entering into nearby drains, dragging with it a lot of pollutants and debris.
Rain gardens, due to their sustainable benefits, are increasing in popularity among homeowners and estate designers. These transformed land depressions are designed specifically for urban environments to help store and infiltrate rainwater, as well as reduce the risk of flooding.
At Calathology, we help to bring spaces to life. Building living walls and features with various plants to suit all needs. Visit us to find out more and discover the many reasons customers choose to work with us for their green living wall projects.
Rain garden purpose and definition
When we look at `what is a rain garden,` we can define it as a shallow hole that gathers and collects natural rainwater.
Low-cost, high-impact, and an attractive garden feature, rain gardens are landscaped areas that are planned and designed to collect and absorb rainwater. These spaces can vary in size and help maximise the amount of water that can infiltrate into the subsoil.
As rainwater can collect naturally in grooves and crevices, a purpose-built rain garden can take this a step further, retaining excess water and creating an eco-friendly drainage system as pollutants are filtered out, and water is returned to the environment, naturally, with plants absorbing the water through their roots.
Once you have decided to go ahead with the creation of your rain garden, the area in question may require excavation and construction to create a suitable subbase.
The area should also be large enough to collect at least 1 inch of rain and should be between four and eight inches in depth. We recommend a slope of around 2% toward the rain garden, making it easy for stormwater to flow into the depression.
Importance of rain gardens
The importance of rain gardens cannot be underestimated, as they help support a healthy garden environment.
Bringing back the natural drainage of water, rain gardens are vital in helping to avoid water gathering chemicals, toxins, and fertilisers, all of which erode the soil.
These shallow landscapes are designed to collect rain and stormwater from roofs, driveways, streets, and gardens, thereby replicating the natural filtration properties found in natural terrain.
The ground depression will then be filled with plants and natural growth, such as grass, to encourage better absorption and filtration.
Plants for rain gardens must be chosen carefully and be native to the area. For example, they must be suitable for the soil conditions and be able to withstand the increased water supply. Ideally, we recommend these as low-maintenance and deep-rooted plants.
Plants such as:
- Trees – great for growing environments
- Shrubs – enhance soil stability
- Perennials – an all-year-round offer
- Grass – helping to filter out pollutants
- Reeds and rushes – suitable for damper conditions.
The area, once created, should also be maintained, properly mulched and free from weeds.
Benefits of rain gardens
- Reduce the risk of localised flooding as the rain garden you create acts as an extra outlet for excess water to go.
- Controls pollution. In fact, rain gardens can filter up to 90% of chemicals and 80% of sediment from stormwater.
- Reduces erosion by removing pollutants and toxins from the water.
- Encourages the growth of nature and wildlife – providing a safe habitat for newts, frogs, toads, dragonflies, pond skaters, birds, and more.
- Supports bioretention as the collected rainwater is filtered through layers of plants, soil, and sand, which it pools within, soaking into the ground and feeding the natural environment around it.
- Visually interesting. Creating stunning features and calming and relaxing spaces.
- Easy to maintain – debris, weeds, and mulch will need to be removed periodically; however, rain gardens typically maintain and grow themselves.
- Design flexibility and freedom – available in any shape and size that suits your space and garden design.
- Designed to drain 24/7.
Living green wall
A great back garden solution that helps to fight against climate control, rain gardens support biodiversity, improve water quality, and keep outdoor space usable all year round.
At Calathology, we’re experts at planting living walls. Creating spectacular features and bringing dull spaces to life with greenery.
We’re big believers in the power of plants to improve wellbeing and mood. We also know that having more greenery and plants in certain locations can increase productivity – check out our post on how living walls can enhance the ambience of a restaurant!
To find out more or if you have any questions, feel free to call us on 07756 430 474. We’d be happy to help