Creekside Rain Garden Installation

Because of poor drainage design and slopes working against them, Lisa and David were experiencing pooling of water at their home's front entrance and driveway, causing inconvenience as well as being problematic for the foundation of their 1950's constructed home. Furthermore, stormwater runoff was draining from their roof directly into an adjacent small creek. They were interested in installing a rain garden to redirect the runoff to the soil, where it would have a chance to filter down and to the creek via underground seepage.

They chose to harvest the runoff from a section of the roof over their garage measuring 20' x 12', calculating they would need a basin to hold approximately 210 cubic feet of water. They had a few constraints to work with: a large oak tree sat between the house and the creek, and they would need to avoid digging or excessive water near its roots to maintain its health. The space they had to work with was somewhat limited, as they had an existing free-standing stone structure on one side, the street on another side, and the house on the last side. They would need to install the rain garden at least ten feet from its foundation.

In November 2009, with the help of workshop participants (see photo slideshow below), they dug out the basin, built berms around the lower elevation and mulched the whole space. They planted native juncus effusus in the basin and a collection of other native plants around the berms. The final step: redirect the gdownspout from thWith the first rains, the basin filled up nicely and the water had all drained by the next morning. Another success story! They look forward to adding more plants and watching their garden grow over time...