A feature on rain gardens by guest bloggers Mary and Sean Jennings, Rootstock Landscapes
It almost time for that rain again. Hopefully you have your BlueBarrel System all set up and ready to fill, baby, fill!
Have you ever thought about catching all the water that over flows when the barrels are full? With 600 gallons of runoff produced for every single inch of rain falling on 1000 square feet of rooftop, even with a very large rain catchment system you’re certain to have overflow. Rain gardens are a perfect way to store that excess!
This bio-swale will fill with water when it rains. Photo courtesy of Rootstock Landscapes
A gently depressed, landscaped basin can hold water beautifully while recharging the groundwater in your garden. A raised and planted berm can keep that precious runoff from running off down the street. The new mantra for on-site water management is Slow it, Spread it, Skink it, Store it! (Rather than Pump it, Pipe it, Pollute it!) You can even entice water from the street into your landscape with creative earthworks.
Mulched Garden. Photo courtesy of Rootstock Landscapes
All your favorite landscape and garden plants, edible or ornamental, can thrive in raised or depressed beds. Check out Rootstock Landscapes for more ideas about how to store water right underfoot in your landscape.
And if you want to add more barrels or haven’t even gotten around to installing your barrels yet, Rootstock can help with that too!
Happy Harvesting!
BlueBarrel Rainwater Catchment System, installed under deck
