Rain Gardens

Why do you garden? Is it for function or fashion? Are you planting vegetables and herbs to provide food or are you planting a stunning hydrangea for eye appeal? No matter your intentions for your landscape, you are benefiting your local ecosystem by providing and nurturing life. 

To take your efforts to the next level, consider a rain garden. The owner of Gateway, Steve, was interviewed in Today's Garden Center about the benefits of installing rain gardens in landscapes. According to Steve, 

"Plants and soil work together to absorb and filter pollutants and return cleaner water through the ground to to nearby streams. Rain gardens also reduce flooding by sending the water back underground, rather than into the street. Besides helping water quality and reducing flooding, rain garden plants provide habitat for beneficial insects and wildlife. The rain garden fills with a few inches of water after a storm, and the water slowly filters into the ground. Because water is only in the rain garden for a day or two, it doesn't become a breeding ground for mosquitoes."

Rain gardens are a good opportunity to add some eye appeal, benefit the environment, and control your runoff. There are a variety of plants you can use that will grow well in a rain garden area. You can also use native plants! You all should know the benefits of native plants by now if you've read previous articles on this blog! If not, here is a link: http://www.abnativeplants.com/. We have an entire section of our garden center dedicated to the American Beauties brand of native plants. We group the plants by theme so there are butterfly attracting plants, bird attracting plants, and of course, rain garden plants!

 Here is a link the American Beauties rain garden page:  http://www.abnativeplants.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/home.showpage/pageID/45/index.htm