Lean how to create your own rain garden with help from American Native Plants!
A rain garden or a depressed garden of deep-rooted native plants positioned to catch rainwater runoff, can help clean rainwater, prevent erosion, contribute to the local ecosystem, and impede flooding and water pollution. Not only can these gardens beautify your home, building, or neighborhood, but they can have a positive impact on your local habitats by positioning native plants in strategic locations such as downspouts, sump pumps, and driveways.
Cleaning Rainwater
A rain garden can catch a lot of rainwater runoff–just watch the rain flow through your streets or lawn during the next storm. With the deep roots of native plants, a well-positioned rain garden catches and cleans this runoff, contributing to the overall water quality of the area. This can improve groundwater systems and avoid basement flooding in your home.
Ecosystem
By using deep-rooted native plants, you can improve the habitat for your local birds, bees, butterflies, and other insects. Aside from their beauty, native plants help to sustain a number of other native species. Interestingly, a well-placed rain garden can also reduce pests such as mosquitos, as the water runoff will be directed further underground by the deep roots, rather than pooling on the surface.
Flooding and Pollution
Another reason rain gardens benefit local ecosystems is that the redirection of water flow will help prevent erosion and flooding in the area. Instead, rainwater is directed deeper underground, benefitting soils, and local groundwater systems. The native plants also help to clean the rainwater of pollutants such as oils, heavy metals, and fertilizers. If left untreated, these pollutants can end up right back in drinking water sources, or run straight back into rivers and streams in the form of rainwater runoff.
American Native Plants
Whether you’re looking to build a rain garden or beautify your property, American Native Plants can provide you with the right plants for the job. With an inventory of over 400,000 native trees, native shrubs, and herbaceous plants consider American Native Plants your one-stop shop for wholesale native plant needs. Peruse our catalog, give us a call, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+!