The world’s water needs saving — and a rain garden might be your first step
In a world where concrete has replaced wild earth, rain gardens return a little magic to the land. Rain gardens are designed to absorb and filter rainwater runoff from generally man made impervious surfaces such as driveways, sidewalks, streets, and roofs. In cities, water runoff tends to pick up trash and pollutants along the way to drains, rivers, and oceans. This leads to big problems such as ocean acidification, PFAS, heavy metal toxicity in our drinking water, and harming wildlife which decreases biodiversity. This topic is also why it's important to consider using non-toxic cleaning products which we have available in our recourses tab.
Luckily there is a way to reduce and prevent this common tragedy. A rain garden is built in such a way that it captures the flowing water and filters it as it soaks into the ground. Building one can reduce up to 91% of nitrate nitrogen from runoff and reduce the total volume of stormwater runoff by 76%! Leading to far less garbage pollution getting into our water resources.(Alyaseri, 2017)(Razola-Díaz, 2023)
How do Rain Gardens Work?
When it rains, water from the roofs, sidewalks, and driveways get directed into the rain garden instead of flowing directly into the storm drains. These rain gardens contain plants, multiple layers of soil, and mulch which filter out pollutants such as oil, pesticides, heavy metals, and fertilizers, along with catching trash (if you live in that kind of city).
This then allows for slow absorption back into the groundwater supplies instead of making more runoff. The plants also help return moisture to the air while capturing carbon and cooling the surrounding areas. When commonly placed, this really helps to cool down the hot concrete jungle and improve the air quality, aside from improving wildlife habitability. All in all this process is as summarized:
- Water collection
- Filtration of pollutants
- Absorption to nourish our groundwater store
- Evapotranspiration
Benefits of a Rain Garden
Rain gardens reduce stormwater runoff and stop the overwhelming of city drainage systems and reduce the risks of flooding downstream— which there is ALWAYS someone downstream.
Water Quality is improved before it reaches the groundwater, streams, or oceans.
Supports local wildlife and pollinators: The plants attract bees, butterflies, and birds as it becomes a natural sanctuary.
Aesthetically appealing: Rain gardens are a sight for sore eyes, bringing life to the regular gray city toned world. You can make them as complexly artistic or as simple as you want it to be. Consider this a creative art project that is humanity and life positive.
Mitigates the hot island effect: The presence of living natural plants helps to cool down paved surface temperatures. Bonus points if there’s a big enough area to put some canopy trees to provide shade, but it isn’t necessary to create an effective rain garden.
Now that we know the benefits, let's dive into how to make your very own rain garden!
Choosing the Right Spot for your Rain Garden
Place it downhill from a runoff source such as the spot where the roof has downspouts, driveways, or if you’re catching water at the bottom of the street.
You’ll want to place it at least 10 FEET AWAY from building foundations to prevent water damage.
Choose naturally lower-lying areas where the water tends to pool up already, obviously if you place it on a hill it won't be very effective in catching passing water. Be sure to not put it too close to septic systems or wells. It may be helpful to call the city to see where underground lines may be placed.
How to Build Your Rain Garden
Step 1: Plan & Design
Be sure to measure the drainage area, observing the square footage of a roof section or driveway that directs water into your garden. If you can, ideally you want to size your rain garden to handle at least ⅓ of the drainage area which is typically 100-300 square feet.
Choose your shape! Common ones are crescent, kidney, or oval shapes.
Step 2: Dig & Prepare the Basin
Dig about 6-12 inches deep to allow water to collect and slowly absorb. Slope the edges gently into the garden, guiding the water in its direction.
A well-structured soil system significantly enhances pollutant filtration:
- Top Layer (4–6 inches) – Shredded bark mulch (absorbs oil, reduces erosion, suppresses weeds)
- Middle Layer (12–18 inches) – Sand/Compost Mix (50% sand, 25% compost, 25% native soil unless it’s clay)
- Bottom Layer (12 inches) – Gravel or Bioretention Soil Mix (improves infiltration, prevents standing water)
If you are in a clay heavy area, try to loosen and amend the soil with compost and sand to help with the drainage. If it’s really dense you might want to consider digging a bit deeper and removing as much clay from your garden zone as you can.
To prepare a well-draining mix, consider 50%-60% Sand, 20%-30% topsoil, and 20%-30% compost.
Step 3: Choose Native Plants
Find some fun deep-rooted native plants that can thrive in both dry and wet conditions. Obviously depending on where you live will depend on what will be good choices. Some good examples are:
Coneflowers, black-eyed Susans, and Swamp Milkweed for central to eastern North America, or Goldenrod for the west side.
Good grasses could be Switchgrass and Little Bluestem. If you live in a trash intensive area, setting up grasses in a crescent shaped wall would be a great way to catch any hard matter pollution in a concentrated spot to easily clean up!
Some good Shrubs could be Red Twig Dogwood and Buttonbush.
Pro Tip: Arrange plants in zones based on water tolerance:
- Bottom (Wettest Area) → Water-loving plants like swamp milkweed & red twig dogwood
- Middle (Moderate Moisture) → Deep-rooted perennials like coneflowers & goldenrod
- Upper Edge (Driest Area) → Drought-tolerant grasses like little bluestem
Step 4: Mulch & Direct Water Flow
Using shredded bark mulch will help to prevent erosion and keep the weeds to a minimum. Use swales, downspouts or decorative dry creek beds to help direct water into your garden! Here are some examples:
Step 5: Make it beautiful!
Adding beautiful decorations like art statues, lights, sturdy fountains, flowers that bring in pollinators like bees and butterflies, big crystals, or boulders in geometric formations can enhance the energetic feng shui of the land. Creating crystal grids with Shungite or Black Tourmaline could add a purification element to your garden.
If you really want to take this to the next level, consider looking into geomancy for ways to energetically charge sections of the land.
Upkeep
For long term efficiency keep up with weed control by removing any invasive plants 2-3 times per season. Refresh the mulch once a year by adding a 2-inch layer to the top, of course that depends on how much water has been running through.
If you observe long standing pools that are still there after 48 hours, you may need to add more sand to your mix for better water infiltration.
Misconceptions about rain gardens
“They attract mosquitoes”
“They won’t work if you have clay soil”
“They require a lot of maintenance”
These common comments are actually not true when it comes to rain gardens! If you properly design your rain garden with appropriate drainage (having plenty of sand and gravel underneath) you won’t and standing water long enough for mosquitoes to breed.
Even if you do have dominantly clay soil, you can improve the drainage quality by digging a little deeper and having plenty of sand and compost to absorb the water. If you have a fully clay yard, just be sure to build a drain from your deeper layers of your garden out into an exit route for overflow. You will still have a helpful rain garden even if it can’t catch every drop.
After the first year of creating and maintaining your garden the upkeep is no more strenuous than a regular yard of grass (in fact less since you don’t have to mow it). The occasional weeding and mulching will keep your garden thriving for years!
You can make the world a better place
A rain garden doesn’t have to be complicated, it can be as big or as small of a project as you want! Anything helps, but either way, this is a fantastic opportunity to create something that is not only beautiful in the world, but also helps to protect our environment and drinking water. Remember, that this can also be done by choosing non-toxic products to wash down the drain during your spring cleaning and opting for more eco-friendly options by reducing single use plastics that just end up down stream.
A rain garden isn’t just a beautiful addition to your landscape—it’s a powerful tool for sustainability. By integrating one into your home, community, or business property, you’re actively helping restore natural water cycles, protect waterways, and create a habitat for wildlife. This simple act is a step in the right direction in bringing the world back into a harmonious state.
References
Photo 1: https://images.app.goo.gl/xW7J7noSwSSgfvYY8
Photo 2 city example: https://images.app.goo.gl/5aSGwN9adJtFpq388
Photo 3: https://www.plantvirginianatives.org/what-is-a-rain-garden
Photo 4 Driveway Example: https://images.app.goo.gl/KykuZoEKMPwozsZZA
Photo 5 Rain Garden in action: https://images.app.goo.gl/Pr3mUtt6mFnrmZrT9
Alyaseri, I., Zhou, J., Morgan, S. M., & Bartlett, A. (2017, August 16). Initial impacts of rain gardens’ application on water quality and quantity in combined sewer: Field-scale experiment - Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering. SpringerLink. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11783-017-0988-5
Environmental Protection Agency. (n.d.). Soak up the Rain: Rain Gardens. EPA. https://www.epa.gov/soakuptherain/soak-rain-rain-gardens
Razola-Díaz, M. D. C., Aznar-Ramos, M. J., Verardo, V., Melgar-Locatelli, S., Castilla-Ortega, E., & Rodríguez-Pérez, C. (2023, March 14). Exploring the nutritional composition and bioactive compounds in different cocoa powders. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10045957/
