Rain Gardens make a difference; which plants?

The crazy downpours we’ve had this summer have demonstrated the benefit of rain gardens.  Storm drains flooded.  Water rushed off our gardens and lawns carrying topsoil and chemicals with it.  You’ve got your site.  Now what are you going to plant?

Selecting plants is also not as complicated as it may seem to someone that has not attempted this type of installation.

My recommendation as a landscape designer is to avoid home improvement stores and mega marts like, oh let’s say, a glass of polluted water and head for the local garden center.   I understand that it is tempting to shop the big stores because of convenience and price but what is saved up front is usually forfeited in the long run.  Plants in the mega marts often are lacking reasonable quality and are usually not well tended once they reach the stores.   There is also a general tendency for the big store plants to be shipped for much greater distances.   And that, after all, is a large part of the reason we’re in this mess in the first place.

If you’re not sure which garden centers to try call the Cooperative Extension office closest to you and ask for their advice. Another reason you want to shop the garden centers is because the staff is usually much more knowledgeable about issues like rain gardening and the use of native plants.  Many people believe that gardening can be done by anyone that has a shovel and a sturdy back, but the fact is that understanding the many nuances of gardening can require more than a little knowledge.  The good folks that work in the local garden centers are almost always enthusiasts to the nth degree.  If they can’t answer your question they will probably know someone that can.
Like any garden there will be maintenance issues.  Newly disturbed soil, like that of a new garden, always exposes weed seeds.  If you don’t want “weeds”, aka plants that were not originally intended for the garden, then you’ll need to get rid of them.  In this particular case my advice is to allow the errant plants to grow.  If it turns out to be an aggressive invasive plant remove it.  Otherwise, let it go.  This garden is about working with, not controlling, nature.  Also, a good 3 inch application of high quality shredded hardwood or cedar mulch will greatly reduce the amount of weed seed germination in the early stages garden.  Watering young plants will also be an important part of the maintenance required for establishing a new garden.

Planting a rain garden is a terrific way to help with the environmental challenges that this planet is currently facing but it is not an end all cure all to the problems we face as our populations put more and more demands on an already exhausted planet.  However, by combining planting efforts with an emphasis for new technologies and philosophies that focus on a more holistic approach to the management of our resources there’s still a chance that one day the mess that is currently our planet may be just a distance memory.  If planting a rain garden can be part of the cure for a healthier planet I believe it is worth the sweat equity it will take to build one.
Finally, remember to have fun when designing and installing your rain garden.  The satisfactions that come with gardening span everything from physical to spiritual to intellectual.  I, and many like me, will attest to the benefits that are associated with the act of building a garden.  Be willing to make mistakes and don’t be upset if you kill a couple of plants.  If I had a dollar for every plant I’ve ever killed I could buy more plants.

If you don’t have a yard of your own try contacting a conservancy or other local environmental groups that made need volunteers to work on community garden projects.   If there is not a project going on in your area start one. There are rain gardens constructed for the community in our area.  One that comes to mind is at Linglestown Middle School.

Planting a rain garden may not be the immediate end of global climate change, but the evidence overwhelmingly shows that this is an economical and effective way to slow down and even reverse the damage that has been done to our water sources.   Gardening can make a difference.
Plant a garden.  Save the world.  We’re worth it.

Cardinal flower. Good native plant for rain gardens and available locally.