If you have a problem with standing water, a bog or a low spot, then it’s time for you to consider using a rain garden as this will solve your landscaping problems but also prove to be environmentally friendly too.
Now if you aren’t sure whether a rain garden is what is necessary, then here are a few things that you must look for to understand whether it is possible to have one or not.
The first thing that you need to do is look for a place for your drainage system but for this check where the water runs off and the low spots where it collects. The further they are from the foundation of your home, the better the rain garden will be and you’ll also prevent a leaky basement.
A couple of other things that you must look out for are rights of way and underground lines or utilities. Call the utility company before digging so that these lines are flagged and so you know where these underground locations are.
Now, there are a number of ways by which you direct the flow of rain on your property and one of them includes diverting the flow from a rain barrel through a pipe into your rain garden. If done properly, this will ensure that there are fewer mosquito breeding areas.
As for plants in rain gardens, it’s best to stick with native plants that do not require little or no fertilizer and are also tolerant of the local climate too. Usually, the plants are of the wetland edge vegetation type such as ferns, shrubs and sedges and will deal with excess water that flows into the rain garden.