Rain Garden Project

Campanula Americana

Maybe  the topic is not familiar to many, but there is valuable information from the Vermont Rain Garden Manual: Gardening to Absorb the Storm, that I will share with you.

Building from Lebanon city hall in New Hampshire; the location of interest

Understanding the Definition: A rain garden is a bowl‐shaped garden designed to capture and absorb rainfall and snowmelt (collectively referred to as “stormwater”). When stormwater runs off impervious surfaces such as parking lots, roofs, compacted soils, and roads, it accumulates pollutants and delivers them to a nearby lake or river either directly or via a storm drain. Stormwater pollutants typically include sediment; nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus); bacteria from animal waste; and oil, grease, and heavy metals from cars. Excess stormwater also causes increased flooding, which erodes stream banks resulting in additional problems. However, if captured by a raingarden, stormwater soaks into the ground and recharges the groundwater at a rate 30% greater than that of a typical lawn.   Through allowing stormwater to infiltrate into the ground, rain gardens help to reduce the volume of stormwater runoff thus preventing excess nutrients, sediment, pollutants, and high stormwater flows from entering local waterways.

Source: Vermont Rain Garden Manual

Cindy Heath is leading the project of Rain Garden the first one in Lebanon, NH. It is located in Eldridge Park, Spencer Street, Lebanon, NH 03766 [visit map here], and I am working as part of my continuous education in the Master Gardener Program. We started by defining the borders with string and then our goal was to remove the grass. Later, the plan is to install a berm with stones to hold rain water, work that will be done in the following days. At the time that we started to work, the weather was humid with a temperature around 90ºF.

We had the opportunity to discuss our planting plan with the well known Master Gardener Henry Homeyer.
Yesterday  the Valley News published an article titled: "Wildflowers May not Be that Wild". He described his recent hike down the Rogue River Canyon of Oregon. What he saw along the roads were wild flowers commonly seen in the nurseries: Coral Bell flowers for example! He listed many other flowers growing in their natural habitat. 

Cindy Heath, Henry Homeyer and Coralia Picardo (me)

On my way back to home,I was struck by these peonies showingoff their springtime blossoms.

The time worked on Thursday, June 8, 2011: 2hr.