Audreys Flowers Limerick

There's a latest trend in gardening these days. They are easy to install and looks good throughout the year, does not require maintenance and has a positive impact on nature. This is the rain garden, a special type of garden designed to collect storm water from the roof, driveway and other impermeable surfaces.

Instead of water running off sewers or local waterways, it collects in a shallow depression in the yard. It is planted with plants, native grasses, trees, shrubs and wildflowers that absorbs and filters storm water.

Rain gardens have significant impact on the quality of water in communities. Studies show that seventy percent of the pollution in rivers, streams and lakes are carried by storm water. You will be able to contribute in protecting streams, rivers and lakes from storm water pollution. Adding one will also provide shelter and food for wildlife.

Steps in Making and Maintaining a Rain Garden:

1. Select location for the garden. It should be at least ten feet from your home, in part or full sun exposure. Refrain from putting it over a septic system or near wells and underground utilities. The rainwater should be absorbed within a few hours.

2. Find the site slope to determine how deep it should be. You can hammer stakes on both downhill and uphill ends of the site, tie a string to the bottom, run it down to the downhill stake, and check for the level with a string level. Divide the width by the height and multiply the result by one hundred to determine the slope percentage. If it is between eight to twelve percent, make your rain garden eight inches deep and if it is between five to seven percent make it six or seven inches deep.

3. The reservoir pump outlet from the basement or the downspout from the roof towards the depression of the rain garden.

4. Determine the type of soil in your lawn. Clay soil is clumpy and sticky. Muddy soil is smooth and sandy soil is grainy. Clay soils have the sluggish filtration, so the rain garden in this kind of soil should be a bit bigger than in other kinds of soil.

5. Dig your rain garden by placing the soil around edges to form a ledge. Fill the lower part of the garden with soil for a steep lawn. Lay a string around the perimeter to mark edges and use stakes tied with strings at ground level on the uphill slope.

6. Ascertain the size and shape of your rain garden. Typically, it is between one hundred to three hundred square feet. Its length should perpendicularly run to the downspout and slope to snag as much water as possible and wide enough for water to spread evenly.

7. Native plants are the best choice for a rain garden. Native species could withstand the difficult growing conditions and needs little care. Consider the height, color and bloom time of the plants. Make sure to mix native ornamental grasses with perennial flowers to ensure the rain garden has strong root mass that withstands erosion and restrains weed growth.

8. You should water new plants ever other day for the first two or three weeks. As soon as they are established, your rain garden should flourish without further watering. Fertilizers are not necessary and it only requires the least weeding after the first growth in summer.

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