Rain gardens

Plants in the rain gardens at the
Washington County Fairgrounds:
Garden Perennials
This garden features a mix of garden
perennials available at local nurseries:
Joe Pye ‘Gateway’
Liatris ‘Kobold’
Little Bluestem
Daylily ‘Stella de Oro’
Daylily ‘Happy Returns’
Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’
Russian sage
Shrubs
This garden features a mix of hearty
shrubs:
Chokeberry ‘Black’
Dwarf Bush Honeysuckle (Diervilla lonicera)
Gro-Low Sumac (Rhus aromatica ‘Gro-Low’)
www.extension.umn.edu
The mission of the Master Gardener Program in
Washington County is to provide volunteers trained
in horticulture to educate the public with researchbased information on the best practices in consumer
horticulture and environmental stewardship.
Valley Branch
Watershed District
Native Perennials 1
This garden features native perennials
planted from plugs:
Swamp Milkweed
Joe Pye Weed
Boneset
Sweetgrass
Prairie Blazingstar
Great Blue Lobelia
Ironweed
Fragrant Hyssop
Smooth Aster
Sky-blue Aster
Bottlebrush Grass
Black Eyed Susan
Prairie Onion
Pussytoes
Prairie Coreopsis
Prairie Smoke
June Grass
Native Perennials 2
This garden features native perennials
planted from 1 gal. pots:
Swamp Milkweed
Joe Pye Weed
Boneset
Sweetgrass
Prairie Blazingstar
Great Blue Lobelia
Ironweed
Fragrant Hyssop
Canada Anemone
Smooth Aster
Sky-blue Aster
Switchgrass
Black Eyed Susans
Prairie Onion
Prairie Sage
Prairie Coreopsis
Prairie Smoke
June Grass
Washington County Fair
Our mission is to enhance, protect, &
preserve the natural resources of
Washington County through
conservation projects, technical
guidance, & educational services
1380 west frontage road,
highway 36
stillwater, mn 55082
[phone] 651.275.1136
[fax] 651.275.1254
[ w e b ] w w w. m n w c d . o rg
Rain gardens
protect our
lakes and rivers
in Washington
County
What are rain gardens?
A rain garden is a beautiful landscaping
addition to a home or business. Rain
gardens capture water from roofs, streets
and driveways during storms, and briefly
hold the water until
it is absorbed by the
soil. By helping the
water soak into the
ground, rain gardens
prevent pollution to
nearby lakes and
rivers and ensure
a steady supply of
water to our wells
and aquifers.
Installing a rain garden is easy!
1. Pick a spot.
Place your garden on a gentle slope in an
area where it will capture the most run-off
from downspouts. Do not choose a low spot
that already collects water, as those areas
are generally slow to drain. Ideally, the
garden should be 10% of the size of the area
it receives water from (usually a roof) and
10-15 ft. from the foundation of your house
or business, although any size garden is
beneficial.
Rain gardens restore the natural water cycle
by catching and absorbing rain water before
it reaches the street. Pollutants are filtered
out by many layers of soil and the resulting
clean water recharges our groundwater.
shoreline buffers
green roofs
native plants
Resources for info:
Why should we plant them?
Washington County is developing rapidly,
meaning more roads, rooftops, and parking
lots. These hard surfaces do not absorb
rainfall and snow melt like the prairies and
wetlands they have replaced. Instead, runoff flows into storm drains in streets and
continues untreated into our lakes and
rivers.
Excess run-off
Algae covered water
causes flooding
and erosion, and
the pollutants in
the water can
cause fish kills,
algal blooms and
toxic conditions. In
Photo courtesy of MN PCA
our county, water
quality in our lakes
and sometimes even the groundwater we
drink is changing for the worse.
Other eco-friendly landscaping
options include:
From the University of Wisconsin Extension Services
2. Dig in.
Before digging call Gopher One-Call (651) 454-0002
to locate buried power, cable and phone lines!
Dig the garden 6-9 in. deep with gently
sloping sides and use the excavated soil to
create a small berm on the downhill side.
3. Plant some roots.
Plant flood tolerant species in the center and
drought tolerant ones around the edges. Look
for plants that are Zone 4 or lower and native
Minnesota species. Native perennials have
very long root systems and are an excellent
choice because they absorb water, prevent
erosion, and are hardy and easy to maintain.
Try to plant a mixture of flowers and grasses
to create a functional and attractive garden.
WI DNR (web site and how-to manual)
http://dnr.wisconsin.gov/org/water/wm/nps/
rg/index.htm
Cuyahoga SWCD (how-to manual)
www.cuyahogaswcd.org/rain_gardens.htm
Phone: 216-524-6580 x10
Rain Gardens of West Michigan
(web site)
www.rain gardens.org
10,000 Rain Gardens (also in Spanish)
www.rainkc.com
City of Maplewood, MN (demo projects)
www.maplewoodmn.govoffice.com/index.
asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC={F2C03470-D6B54572-98F0-F79819643C2A}
Burnsville Demonstration Gardens
(graphs and data)
www.landandwater.com/features/vol48no5/
vol48no5_2.html