Why a rain garden? Because they make a difference.

We need freshwater to live. Unfortunately, pollution, water overuse and climate change make this critical resource more and more scarce. Rain gardens keep rain or snow run-off — which contains pollutants like oil, salt, fertilizer, pesticides, pet waste, transportation chemicals, sediment and more — out of our community storm drains and freshwater systems.

Instead of allowing these pollutants to contaminate our waterways, a well-designed garden captures that runoff so you can use it to water native plants in your own garden. From there your captured water infiltrates deeper into the ground to serve nearby plants and trees. Why native plants? Because they help to soak up the water, break up hard soil and infiltrate water and nutrients deep into the soil. A rain garden is more than a beautiful thing — it’s a beautiful, recycling system that is a habitat for birds and beneficial insects while at the same time reducing the number of harmful, unwanted pests.

So why build a rain garden?

They are developed with plants that fit your yard, and the sun, soil, and moisture conditions there.
They slow and filter roof or driveway runoff
They protect our streams and reduce sewer overflows and flooding.
They attract beneficial life to your garden
They are sustainable
Many cities and municipalities offer rebates for rain garden installation ~ that means your rain garden may be low or no cost to install