Green Horizons

Homeowners in many parts of the country are catching on to rain gardens -- landscaped areas planted with wild flowers and other native vegetation that soak up rain water, mainly from the roof of a house or other building. The rain garden fills with a few inches of water after a storm and the water slowly filters into the ground, rather than running off to a storm drain. Compared to a conventional patch of lawn, a rain garden allows about 30% more water to soak into the ground.

Does a rain garden form a pond?
No. The rain water will soak in so the rain garden is dry between rainfalls.

Are they a breeding ground for mosquitoes?
No. Mosquitoes need 7 to 12 days to lay and hatch eggs, and standing water in the rain garden will last for a few hours after most storms. Mosquitoes are more likely to lay eggs in bird baths, storm sewers and lawns than in a sunny rain garden. Also, rain gardens attract dragonflies, which eat mosquitoes!

Do they require a lot of maintenance?
Rain gardens can be maintained with little effort after the plants are established. Some weeding and watering will be needed in the first two years and perhaps some thinning in later years as the plants mature.

Is a rain garden expensive?
It doesn't have to be. A family and a few friends can provide the labor. The main cost will be purchasing the plants, and even this cost can be minimized by using some native plants that might already exist in the yard or in a neighbor's yard.

Raingardens use water-loving native plants to slow down storm water runoff and allow it to percolate into the ground rather than feed swollen neighborhood creeks.

Where can I get more information?
You can go online and get a PDF copy of the excellent publication, "Rain Gardens: A How-to Manual for Homeowners" from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. The link is www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/water/wm/dsfm/shore/documents/rgmanual.pdf

If you do not have online access, call the Wisconsin DNR at (608) 266- 2621; or write to them at 101 S. Webster Street, PO Box 7921, Madison, WI 53707-7921. Ask for publication PUB-WT-776 2003. GH