Add a Rain Garden for Drainage Control
& Landscaping Beauty

Landscape Grading & Drainage Services from Texoma Excavation & Construction

Add a Rain Garden for Drainage Control & Landscaping Beauty

Landscape Grading & Drainage Services from Texoma Excavation & Construction

A rain garden is a type of landscaped garden site designed to capture and absorb stormwater flowing away from your house or some other area of your residential or commercial property that will benefit from this drainage method. Rain gardens are a very practical way to address many drainage issues with the added benefit of being an attractive landscaping features. They are built in a depression at the bottom of a slight slope, using pipes or swales (stone channels like small streams) to capture fast-moving rainwater.

Rain gardens rely on plants and natural or engineered soil medium to retain stormwater and increase the lag time of infiltration, while remediating and filtering pollutants carried by urban runoff. They provide a method to reuse and optimize any rain that falls, reducing or avoiding the need for additional irrigation [10].

Rain gardens act as temporary bathtubs, holding polluted water as plant roots and soil filter out pollutants. Water percolates out of the rain garden into the surrounding soil, recharging the groundwater and taking a load off your local sewer system. Rain gardens divert rainwater from your roof, driveway, and other surfaces that water cannot infiltrate (cannot absorb) away from the foundation of your home to reduce the risk of water damage. They also decrease the level of runoff that flows into the storm sewer and harms local aquatic ecosystems.

What are the benefits of a rain garden?

What are the benefits
of a rain garden?

Drainage improvements: Rain gardens improve drainage and reduce the level of runoff that flows into the storm sewer and harms local aquatic ecosystems [1][4].
Flood risk reduction: Rain gardens divert rainwater from your roof, driveway, and other hardscapes away from your home’s foundation [1].
Customize them to fit your landscaping plan: Rain gardens can be customized to fit your style and preferences. You have a wide choice of the type, size, height and color of the plants to add your rain garden.
Higher property value: Rain gardens can increase the value of your property by improving your drainage to reduce your risk of typical property owner issues and damage to: retaining walls, foundations, lawn, etc., as well as improving value by improved curb appeal.

Water conservation: After rain gardens are fully established, they won’t require watering except in extreme drought conditions. They save time and money while adding beautiful landscaping features and reducing your carbon footprint [1].
Bees will love you: Rain gardens provide habitat for pollinators and increase plant diversity.
Groundwater recharge: Rain gardens help recharge groundwater by allowing water to percolate into the soil [1].
Biodiversity and wildlife: Rain gardens provide habitat for wildlife and increase plant diversity [1][3].
Water pollution protection: Rain gardens filter out pollutants in runoff [4]
Rebate and incentive programs: Some cities offer rebates or incentives for installing rain gardens [1].

Rain gardens are a great way to protect your home and property from water damage and flooding, improve your lawn and landscape drainage, and do wonders for the environment.

What are the steps in planning &
building a rain garden?

What are the steps in planning
& building a rain garden?

Choose the right location: Look for a low area in your yard that has standing water after heavy rain. The site should be at least 10 feet away from your house and in full sun to part shade. Locate your rain garden down a slope from a downspout, ditch, or another water outlet running off hard surfaces on your property [12][14][15].
Test your soil: Remove any lawn or other vegetation from the spot where you’d like to create a rain garden. Clay soils work best because they have a slower percolation rate, allowing water to drain slowly. If you are unsure of the type of soil you have, complete a soil test, which can usually be done for a small fee through your state’s extension service. If you have loose, sandy soil, you will need to add water-absorbing compost and topsoil to the rain garden area [12][14][15].

Determine the size of your garden: The size of your rain garden will depend on the amount of runoff you want to capture. A good rule of thumb is to make the garden one-third the size of the impervious surface draining into it [13][14].
Choose native plants: Native plants are best suited for rain gardens because they can tolerate wet sites. Use native grasses, sedges, and rushes in at least one-third to one-half of the rain garden. You can also use native flowering plants and shrubs to add color and attract pollinators [12][14].
Prepare the garden area: Using a shovel, dig out the soil to a depth of 6 inches, gently sloping down from the outside edges to the center where it should be deepest. Use the loose soil to create a low berm on the lowest side of the rain garden. As water flows into your new rain garden, the berm will help hold it long enough to seep into the soil. If you make the garden deeper than 6 inches, mosquitos could become a problem because it will take the water longer to percolate down and evaporate completely [12][14].
Plant the rain garden: Plant your rain garden with native plants and grasses. Be sure to water them regularly until they are established. Cover the soil with a layer of mulch to help retain moisture and suppress weeds [12][14].
Maintain the garden: Once your rain garden is established, it will require minimal maintenance. Remove any weeds that appear and prune back any dead or damaged plants. You can also add new plants to the garden as desired [12][13].

Where To Build (and not to build)
Your Rain Gardens

The ideal location for a rain garden is where the ground slopes away from a building. Designate a spot that is at least 10 feet away from buildings (so infiltrating water is less likely to seep into the foundation), 8 feet from a well; and 18 feet away from a septic drain field or the edge of a steep slope;
Consider building a rain garden in the low-lying areas of your yard that receive direct runoff from impervious surfaces such as rooftops, driveways, and sidewalks;
It is also recommended to avoid placing the rain garden over a functioning septic system and refrain from placing it where water already accumulates;
If possible, choose a location with full or partial sun and a moderate slope.

If possible, choose a location with full or partial sun and a moderate slope.
At least one foot above bedrock or high ground water level;
Not directly over a sewer lateral or buried utilities. Remember to call the Diggers Hotline at 811 before you dig;
Not where tree roots may make it difficult to dig or where digging could damage a desirable tree;
Not in areas that receive heavy foot-traffic, which may compact soils and compromise in-filtration capacity.

Types of Rain Gardens

Plants that will thrive in a Rain Garden

There are many plants that can thrive in a rain garden, here are some general options to consider:

Smooth Blue Aster (Symphyotrichum laeve):

Smooth Blue Aster is ideal for the top edge of your rain garden and provides pollinators, especially the Pearl Crescent butterfly, with a food source. It grows in USDA Growing Zones 3 to 8 and prefers full sun and dry to medium, well-drained soil [18].
Sarah Vermaak, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii):

This native grass is an excellent choice for the base of your rain garden. Big Bluestem’s deep root system acts as a filtration method for contaminants while also allowing for efficient groundwater infiltration. It is also an attractive grass while in bloom and during the fall and winter, and it is a food source for birds and other wildlife while offering shelter for insects and butterfly and moth larvae. It grows in USDA Growing Zones 4 to 9 and prefers full sun and moist, well-draining soil [18][20].
Matt Lavin, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

New York ironweed (Vernonia noveboracensis):

New York ironweed is ideal for the base of your rain garden. It grows in a dense mounding shrub-like form and is tolerant to almost all growing conditions. Ironweed offers ecological benefits to pollinators and shelter to small wildlife if you allow it to grow shrubby, which can happen if it is not kept orderly. It grows in USDA Growing Zones 5 to 9 and prefers full sun and medium to wet soils [18].
Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa):

This plant is ideal for the slope of your rain garden. It is a native perennial that attracts pollinators and has a pleasant fragrance. It grows in USDA Growing Zones 3 to 9 and prefers full sun and medium to wet soils [18].
Eric Hunt, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata):

Swamp milkweed is ideal for the base of your rain garden. It is a native perennial that attracts pollinators and is a host plant for monarch butterflies. It grows in USDA Growing Zones 3 to 9 and prefers full sun and medium to wet soils [19].
Cephas, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Joe Pye weed (Eupatorium):

Joe Pye weed is ideal for the base of your rain garden. It is a native perennial that attracts pollinators and has a pleasant fragrance. It grows in USDA Growing Zones 4 to 9 and prefers full sun and medium to wet soils [18].
liz west, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea):

Coneflower is ideal for the edge of your rain garden. It is a native perennial that attracts pollinators and has a long bloom time. It grows in USDA Growing Zones 3 to 9 and prefers full sun and medium to dry soils [18].
H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Summersweet (Clethra alnifolia ‘Hummingbird’):

“Hummingbird” Summersweet is ideal for the base of your rain garden. It is a native shrub that attracts pollinators and has a pleasant fragrance. It grows in USDA Growing Zones 3 to 9 and prefers partial shade and medium to wet soils [18].
Photo by David J. Stang, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

RAIN GARDEN PLANTS FOR TEXAS & OKLAHOMA

Resources

Resource Links

1
How to Build a Rain Garden to Capture Runoff, Tenth Acre Farm. Online resource.
2
Amazing Rain Garden Design Ideas, HGTV. Online resource.
3
Sidewalk Rain Gardens – Utilities, Online resource.
4
Beautify Your Sidewalk With This Easy Street-Side Garden Plan, Online resource.
5
Weather Infomation, Online resource.
6
Rain Garden Plant List, Texas A&M University. Online pdf resource.
7
Rain Gardens for North Texas, Dubberley Landscape. Online resource.
8
Earth-wise guide to Rain Gardens, AustinTexas.gov. Online pdf resource.
9
Earth-Kind® Plant Selector, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Earth Kind Landscaping. Online resource.
10
Rain Garden – Wikipedia, Online resource.
11
How to Make a Simple Rain Garden to Solve Stormwater Problems, Online resource.
12
MSU Extension, Online resource.
13
How to Plan a Rain Garden – Lawn Love, Online resource.
14
How To Build a Rain Garden Step-by-Step, HomeAdvisor. Online resource.
15
How to Build a Rain Garden, Lawn Love. Online resource.

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