Rain Garden Redoux (sp?)

**J* B* <j*@usol.com>**

I posted a blog entry last week about my thoughts a about something  
called “rain gardens”.  I simultaneously posted the piece on this  
listserv. I got some really good feedback which I will try to  
summarize.  GWL is a great group!

  Rain Garden vs. Storm Garden vs. Bog Garden Confusion

There was a strong distinction made between rain gardens/bog gardens  
and storm gardens.

  Storm gardens are specifically designed to redirect storm water,  
often in large amounts.  The storm garden is usually large and is  
most often constructed by a landscaping company using guidelines from  
state or local government.  The storm garden appears to be first a  
mechanism to redirect water and second a place to grow plants.

  A Rain Garden in most views is what we have for years called a Bog  
Garden.  This is a garden that is placed in an area that is either  
always a bit wet (like a bog) or gets hit with a lot of water in a  
short time such as an area at the base of a rain spout draining rain  
off a roof.  A rain garden in this context then is not designed to  
move large amounts of storm water.  It is designed to be a site where  
water loving plants can thrive and if it slows down the movement of  
rain off the roof, so much the better.

  I now understand that the seminar I attended, dealing with “rain  
gardens” was really about “storm gardens”.

Not to be unexpected, I got stomped gracefully about my comments  
concerning the implied requirement that rain gardens or storm gardens  
should be planted exclusively with native plants.  The only argument  
I can find for such a position is that native plants often have very  
deep root systems which are assumed to be able to help remove more  
water; I don’t buy that assumption, but who’s counting?  I go for a  
mix of natives and exotics.  The natives are more important to  
support birds, insects, and other critters needed for a balanced  
ecosystem.  Don’t hit me, but I think the exotics are usually more  
attractive.

  What became very clear from the many comments from fellow garden  
writers was that government at the local, county, state and federal  
levels have no agreement on the definition of terms nor any clue  
about any standardized, proven engineered techniques for dealing with  
the redirection of storm water using storm gardens.  I have no idea  
who should help these poor bureaucrats get their act together; there  
is probably no hope to avoid 50 different sets of laws requiring only  
20 different approaches to the problem.

  So here is my shot at a set of definitions

Storm Garden – any garden designed to, in some manner, redirect large  
volumes of storm water away from the municipal storm sewer system.   
The plants used in a storm garden are not relevant to whether it can  
perform its function.  They just make the garden aesthetically  
acceptable.

  Rain Garden – A relative of the bog garden, this garden is a  
residential scale garden located to serve as a absorber of rain water  
coming off a roof or down a driveway.  Again the design is first to  
handle a fairly large surge of water in a short period of time, but  
then have plants that can handle living in a wet environment for at  
least a few days.  Again I see no need to specify the exclusive use  
of native plants.  The plants just have to be able to handle wet feet.

  Bog Garden – This is a residential garden that can be located  
anywhere.  Its design requires that various techniques and materials  
are used to keep the soil in the garden on the moist to wet  
condition.  In this wet environment, only bog plants or water loving  
plants will grow.  Removal of storm water or even rain water is not a  
function of the design of the bog garden.

  Maybe everyone else is still upset but I feel better.

  Jeff

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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