Rain Gardens

Four gardeners in a fieldRain gardens capture storm water runoff before it pollutes our local rivers while providing beautiful garden scapes throughout the growing season.

How can you learn to build one? Read on!

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Become a Master Rain Gardener

Train to be a Master RAIN Gardener! Design your own rain garden during class. Become the rain garden expert in your neighborhood. Master Rain Gardeners help friends and neighbors to learn about, design and plant rain gardens. Earn your certificate by taking the class and building a rain garden. Recognize Master Rain Gardeners by their Master Rain Gardener t-shirts!

Get Some Advice on Your Rain Garden

Jessen garden 5-7-12 3 years old Opens in new windowGet some advice from Master Rain Gardeners! Join the Master Rain Gardener Facebook group and post photos of your yard. You will receive advice and encouragement. Join the rain garden club.

Make an appointment with our staff for one-on-one advice. Our office offers personalized design advice to homeowner whom then build the rain garden themselves. These gardens result in fewer fertilizers, chemicals, and other harmful runoff into the Huron River while providing joy to homeowners all over the county. Schedule a visit with this link. Or e-mail: Susan Bryan, Rain Garden Coordinator.

Volunteer

Miller 2016 Jonathan Parker Cathy Dyer Della Diehr Dorothy YenniVolunteer in a public rain garden by joining a workday or becoming a steward. As a rain gardener, or Master Rain Gardener, you can become your neighborhood’s expert and spread the word about the benefits of rain gardens.

About Rain Gardens

Mother earth creates the rain - but we create the runoff. When rain hits the roofs, streets, and driveways of our neighborhoods, it washes pollution into the river. A rain garden captures the rain water runoff and filters it clean.

One inch of rainfall means 600 gallons of water will be captured by a typical rain garden. Captured water won’t go to municipal pipes, won’t add pollution to the river, and won’t contribute to flooding. This water will recharge the groundwater. Before it does, it keeps the garden looking green and lush.

A rain garden is an attractive landscaping feature planted with perennial native plants. It is a bowl-shaped or saucer-shaped garden, designed to absorb storm water run-off from impervious surfaces such as roofs and parking lots. Rain gardens can be small home-owner style gardens, large complex gardens, or anywhere in between.

Rain gardens capture stormwater runoff before it pollutes our local rivers - while providing beautiful garden scapes throughout the growing season.

Rain Garden Illustration