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(Browse through hundreds of photos of beautifully designed rain gardens and learn what goes into designing them.)
Rain gardens can be located just about anywhere on a landscape, but here are some guidelines to help you select the right place:
* You will want to look for a place that the rain garden will catch runoff. It is usually a low-laying area.
* Place the garden at least ten feet from a building foundation to prevent structural damage from flooding and wetness.
* Don't place them over a septic system.
* Areas where there are water puddles long enough to form small ponds are not ideal. The infiltration of the soil is already low, and adding a garden will make it worse.
* Place the garden in full, or immediate, sunlight. This will speed up drying, decrease pathogens, and promote pant growth.
* Choose a relatively flat section of land that has well drained soil. This will make digging easier.
When you go to design your garden, you can do just about anything. They can be just about any shape or size. A lot of rain garden designs are in the shape of a kidney bean, with the largest side facing the source of the runoff. However, shape is not critical. Use your imagination. But, before you start digging call your local utilities to make sure that your garden will not interfere with electric, gas, phone, or water lines.
If you need a little help coming up with a rain garden design, search the web. There are many resources available with pictures, rain garden design ideas, information, and even rain garden design software.
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