One may think a rain garden might only thrive in places like London or Seattle, where the average rain falls are 24 inches and 38 inches respectively. In actuality, Chicago gets more rain annually (34 inches) than London and almost as much as Seattle; therefore northern Illinois is a great place to have a rain garden.
Rain gardens are typically planted in a low-lying area or along a naturally formed slope. The garden is designed to allow rainwater to follow its natural course, and temporarily hold and soak up rainwater when there is an overflow or runoff from roofs, gutters, driveways, or lawns following or during precipitation.
Rain gardens are environmentally beneficial. Not only can they soak up 30 percent more water than a typical lawn, they minimize erosion. Through plant absorption, rain gardens also reduce water pollution by cleaning up 80 percent of its chemical composition, thereby minimizing and purifying the water that flows through the storm drains that are diverted directly into the nearest river or stream.
Rain gardens beautify your landscape. It's important to know what types of plants tolerate and utilize water the best, to avoid standing water. Usually native plants work best because they require less maintenance, they become adapted to the local soil and climate conditions, they provide habitats for local birds, butterflies, and beneficial insects, and as long as there's precipitation, they need very little watering. If you have a rain barrel connected to one of your downspouts, that's even better — you can reuse your rain water for your lovely plants! And there's the beauty of it!
To learn more about rain gardens, check out these resources at the Lenhardt Library.
| Creating Rain Gardens: Capturing the Rain for Your own Water-Efficient Garden |
| Rain Gardens: Managing Water Sustainably in the Garden and Landscape Design |
| Rain Gardens: Sustainable Landscaping for a Beautiful Yard and a Healthy World |
| The Rain Garden Planner: Seven Steps to Conserving and Managing Water in the Garden |
| Water-Efficient Gardening
|
Articles
"Rain Check" by Therese Ciesinski
Organic Gardening, Late Summer, 2008, Vol. 55 Issue 6, pages 62-65
The dos and don'ts of creating a rain garden
"Water: Vegetables on Broadway" by George Hazelrigg, ASLA
Landscape Architecture, April 2012, Vol. 102, Issue 4, pages 56-62
Landscape architects design rain gardens and bioswales for urban development.
"Rain Gardens, the Green Wave" by Gene Pouly
Arborist News, April 2010, Vol. 19, Issue 2, pages 26-27
Certified arborist discusses the importance of researching rain garden installation and plant specifications.
Websites for more information
Chicago Botanic Garden's Rainwater Glen
www.chicagobotanic.org/explore/pcsc.php
www.chicagobotanic.org/plantinfo/faq/rain_garden
www.chicagobotanic.org/conservation/rain_garden
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources' Rain Gardens: A How-to Manual for Homeowners
www.chicagobotanic.org/downloads/wed/WI_DNR_homeowners.pdf
Illinois Wildflowers
www.illinoiswildflowers.info/index.htm
www.illinoiswildflowers.info/flower_insects/insects/moths.htm
Rain Garden Basics
www.prairierivers.org/Projects/VolunteerOpportunities/eNewz/RainGardenBasics.html
Illinois websites for rain garden basics, the benefits of rain gardens, and where to get plants.
USDA NCRS Illinois Native Plant Guide
www.il.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/plants/npg/