Building a Rain Garden

Click on each step of building a rain garden to learn more.

1. Decide where to place your garden
2. Measure your house to determine size of garden.
3. Start by creating a design
4. Choose your plants
5. Layout the shape of the garden
6. Dig a shallow depression
7. Prepare the soil
8. Time to Plant
9. Mulch the garden
10. Watering and arranging downspouts

The rule of thumb suggests that you place the garden at least 10 feet away from your home to prevent flooding in your house. Do not locate the garden over a septic field. You should try to choose a naturally occurring low spot in your yard or position the garden where your downspouts or even sump pump outlet can be used to direct rainwater into your garden. Try to choose a location in the sun either full or partial. You should also consider the natural drainage of the yard so that overflow (during a heavy rain) flows away from the house and into the rest of your yard.

If you are concerned about drainage capability or flow use your garden hose to soak the area (or wait for a good rain) a week or two before you start digging and look at the flow of water on and off your property. You can also test infiltration (the rate at which water soaks into the soil) by first digging a 8”x8”x 2’ deep hole and filling it with a bucket of water. Measure the depth of the water immediately and then after an hour measure again. The water should have been reduced by 1 inch or more within that hour. One inch or more per hour is a good soaking time.

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