A rain garden contains a strategically located combination of grasses, perennials and shrubs that tolerate moist conditions (such as Iris versicolor, Carex, Lysimachia punctata, Lysimachia nummularia, Typhia latifolia, Scirpus). It can temporarily hold rainwater runoff from the roof, eavestroughs, slopes in your property, and excess sediment and/or fertilizer before it reaches a storm drain. Not only is a rain garden pleasing to the eye and teeming with microscopic life, but it is also important in reducing storm water overflow in ditches, sewers and the water treatment plant and in controlling pollution in our lakes and rivers.
A word of caution: check first with the City in case you need a permit (required for all excavation work) and make sure you don’t block any ditches.
For more information, Envirocentre has posted a short Youtube video describing the Top 10 things to know about rain gardens.