A flood is made from millions of drops adding up
Flood mitigation is built one garden at a time.
Give the rain somewhere to go.
A rain garden is a shallow, planted dip in your yard, set where runoff already flows. It catches the water sheeting off your roof and driveway — your share of what would otherwise rush to the storm drain.
- ■Soak, don't flood. It sinks in slowly instead of overwhelming the sewer.
- ■Filter the bad stuff. Soil and deep roots trap oil, fertilizer, and grit before they reach our creeks and rivers.
- ■Habitat, too. Flowering plants bring in pollinators.
Small effort, real math: one modest garden can divert thousands of gallons a year. Multiply that by a block.
How it works
- Enter your address — anywhere in the contiguous U.S. — and we pull your local rainfall and growing conditions.
- Answer a few questions — soil, sun, space, water source.
- Get your plan — size, depth, and plants for your rain garden.
If you've got a patch of yard, a downspout or two, and a free weekend in you — this is for you. No landscaping experience required. This is a beginner-friendly, dig-it-yourself way to pitch in on storm water management.
About Me
PLACEHOLDER: Replacing turf lawn with more sustainable ground covers is my current fascination — and I'm documenting the whole hopeful, muddy progress, my own two rain gardens included, over on Instagram: @sustainable.urban.gardening.