Create a Rain Garden in Your Yard

If you were driving past the Community Association Clubhouse last Saturday morning you may have noticed a big plant sale on the lawn by the clubhouse parking lot.

Jardin du Lac garden club was selling plants to many residents of the community. Club members were on hand to help with any plant and gardening questions residents had. For example, Coreopsis, Torch Lily, Day Lily, Penstemon, and Iris are just a few perennials that grow well in full sun. Lily of the Valley, Hosta, Ginger, Fern, Astilbe and Anemone are some that grow well in shade. Consult www.mobot.org,  go to “Gardening Help and Resources”, then “Plant Finder” to locate many more plants that grow well in our plant hardy zone.

Given that rain keeps falling about every other day, my lawn and gardens are still so very saturated that it becomes difficult to walk through them. It is also destructive to walk through them because the weight compresses the soil, squishes the water out and compacts the soil. The air pockets that should be there after water has drained will no longer be there. Roots of plants need those pockets of oxygen to survive.

I bet you have noticed that in certain places in your yard water just collects and takes longer to drain than it does in other areas. These pooling areas could become rain gardens. This is a term that we have been hearing a lot lately.

What is a rain garden? The city of Lake St. Louis is planning on creating a that will be located in , in the flat lawn area by the pavilion. The purpose of creating this garden is to educate residents about water run-off and how to reduce the amount of water that flows into the lakes. This not only causes flooding but allows too many pollutants to enter the lakes. Rain gardens slow down the movement of water and filter the chemicals that are used on lawns so it seeps down into the ground rather than rushing to the storm sewers.

Construction of the rain garden should begin this summer with installation of plants in September. Stop by during construction to see how it’s done.  A few plants that grow well in this type of garden are: Arrowhead, Buttonbush, Cardinal Flower, Culvers Root, Great Blue Lobelia, New England Aster, Prairie Blazing Star, Swamp Milkweed, Wild Bergamot and Blue Flag Iris. For a more extensive listing of plants visit www.grownative.org. Just click on “Buyers Guide” then “Find Suppliers” to locate the Grow Native! retail nursery nearest you.

If you have a beautifully landscaped yard or have unique garden ornaments that you are proud of and would like to see featured on Patch.com, contact me at Bahrmasel@msn.com.