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Re: Marketing Problems For Rain Gardens
Well, Jeff
I am not qualified to answer any of your statements. However I did
attend two symposium on the subject this year. One presented by a couple in
Ohio, and landscape architect in KY recently. We have a situation on our
property that we think calls for a rain garden. Also think it would be a
good opportunity to create an example for all the gardeners who visit here.
Who knows, perhaps a future article??? So, it was interesting to see this
topic come up and your opinions on the matter. We can not get the landscape
architect to actually do out work for us... we are too small for his
crews... but he has agreed to talk with us, perhaps take a look for design.
To prep for the project we have ordered a book on the subject this week.
Be interesting to compare your comments with what happens on this project
here. Time has come in this area. A county close to us tried to enact
legislation to tax run off from private properties. Farmers put a screeching
halt to that one, but it will come back around.
Don't know about Detroit, but some jobs, those paid for by Feds in
particular, mandate natives be used. No options.
Gene E. Bush
Munchkin Nursery & Gardens, llc
www.munchkinnursery.com
genebush@munchkinnursery.com
Zone 6/5 Southern Indiana
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jeff Ball" <jeffball@usol.com>
Subject: [GWL] Marketing Problems For Rain Gardens
I thought there might be some interest in my blog entry for today.
Rain Gardens Revealed!
I finally understand what it takes to construct a rain garden. Nancy
and I spent a morning this week listening to several experts on the
subject. We came away with the concern that the “rain garden
enthusiasts” are taking the same path as was taken by the first
organic gardeners and the folks into native plants. Here are the
rules. You can’t break our rules. Yes, it takes a lot of work but
that’s the way it is, so deal with it. They are limiting their
market to a very small percentage of the population.
In other words, we don’t think the rain garden, as proposed by the
folks here in Detroit is going to go very far. It is a wonderful
concept and one that is desperately needed in virtually every
community in this country, but we think it is already doomed by rigid
minutia.
We learned that the Kansas City government has decided to support the
construction of 10,000 rain gardens in the city over the next five
years. We have to look into how they are motivating their citizens
to jump on that band wagon. It is certainly an ambitious and
righteous goal.
One of the problems we saw here in Detroit, and I’ve seen it in many
articles in the literature is that the rain garden has become linked
to native plants. The impression one gets is that you can’t have a
true rain garden unless it is planted with natives. That is a
mistake in our view. The concept and function of a rain garden
should stand alone. You can plant anything you want in your rain
garden as long as the plants can live in a mix of 60% finished
compost and 40% sharp sand (builder’s sand), covered with three
inches of wood chip mulch.
Another problem that became clear at this seminar was that in most
cases, the rain garden area needs to be dug out 3 to 4 feet deep,
unless it is already very sandy. That is a lot of work and often
requires a back hoe. The space is then filled with the compost and
sand mixture that drains very well and still holds water at the same
time. We see articles about simply planting water loving plants in
the wet area and call it a rain garden. Not so. The function of a
rain garden is to help reduce the amount of storm water going into
any sewer system. The garden is positioned to handle the water
coming off the roof or the water running down the driveway. Just
planting some water loving plants in wet clay does not do anything
except maybe create a pretty garden to look at.
What we need to do is translate the design of a rain garden into a
bunch of very flexible choices, so most folks can buy into it once
they decide they can do something about excess rain water into the
sewer system.
Jeff Ball
jeffball@usol.com
810-724-8581
Check out my daily blog at www.gardeneryardener.blogspot.com
Check out my extensive web site at www.yardener.com
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