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Rain Garden Experience
Dear RainGardeners,
I'm in the process of installing a rain garden on a mountaintop in
Western NC. It is difficult to convey the idea, but the landscape
contractors finally got it (despite the excellent drawings, they were
unsure how to do edging around it.) We're using a mix of natives and
ornamentals for a willowy look that will not obscure the distant vista
of lakes, etc. We also have an overflow that takes excess into a ravine
below. It looked like a great opportunity and I appreciate the reminder
from Jeff about the humus needed in the planting area. Ours is very
sandy mountain granite dust and has a 50% topsoil additive. We also
have 3 cisterns on the property and a cleaner to separate grit and oil
runoff from the driveway. As much water is harvested as is humanly
possible and stored in a VERY LARGE concrete cister (40'x20'x10'deep)
for irrigation and fire protection. Sincerely, MAry Palmer Dargan, ASLA
re: 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.
On Sat, 4 Aug 2007 08:16:30 -0400, "Gene Bush" <genebush@otherside.com>
said:
> 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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>
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> Send photos for GWL to gwlphotos@hort.net to be posted
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>
> Post gardening questions/threads to
> "Gardenwriters on Gardening" <gwl-g@lists.ibiblio.org>
>
> For GWL website and Wiki, go to
> http://www.ibiblio.org/gardenwriters
--
Mary Palmer Dargan, ASLA, APLD, RLA, CLARB
Author, Timeless Landscape Design (Gibbs-Smith, Feb 2007) sold out in 30 days!
mpdargan@dargan.com 800-454-3889 ext 4 & 404-354-1715cell Dargan Landscape Architects
Tip: Visit English gardens by Sir Harold Peto at Buscot and Iford in Wiltshire and Avon, also must see Sir Roy Strong's formal garden at the Lasket in Herefordshire (by appointment)
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