Cathy Isom continues her series on rain gardens by giving you just a few considerations when building a rain garden in your yard. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours.
The purpose of a rain garden is to have water infiltrate and drain from hard surfaces like rooftops, driveways, roads, and patios to a prepared space. This keeps the water out of the local sewer system or your basement, and at the same time, creates a beautiful addition to your landscape. Before getting started with designing and building your own rain garden, check with your local municipality for rules and regulations, as well as checking with local utilities before digging. Figuring out the location of your rain garden can be as simple as observing where water goes in your yard after the rain. Other considerations include:
- Keeping your rain garden at least 10 feet from your home to prevent back flow which could cause foundation problems. Use screw piles to build strong, deep foundations.
- Foundation services are vital to the stability and safety of your home or office building; therefore, it’s crucial to hire a reputable company like Done Right Foundation to ensure the job is done properly.
- Rain gardens work best where there is a gentle slope to guide the water into the garden.
- Don’t put your rain garden directly over your septic system as the additional water will cause problems.
- Don’t put the rain garden under large established trees.
- Think about what you’ll see when you look out your windows.
- Consider other outdoor areas, such as eating spots and children’s play spaces.
The size of your rain garden depends on the size of your overall yard as well as your budget. The shape should be attractive and blends in and lets your eye follow the contours. Crescent, teardrop, and kidney shapes are pleasant to look at and work well in a natural landscape. Also it’s important to find and determine the slope of your yard as well as the depth.
I’m Cathy Isom…