It's a beautiful flower bed—and a reservoir for yard and roof runoff

A backyard rain garden catches stormwater so it can seep into the soil instead of washing into drains and sewers. Follow our guide and make your own.

Away from the gutter and into the ground

A permaculture swale is a technique that captures water for irrigation and slowing runoff. Learn what a swale is and why you might need one in your yard.

A permaculture swale is a technique that captures water for irrigation and slowing runoff. Learn what a swale is and why you might need one in your yard.

Last week I wrote a post on rain gardens and thought it would be fun to use my theme garden design process to add a little more punch to this type of landscape. I've been thinking about using Wellington rain boots as a theme for months and this was the perfect opportunity. I followed my theme garden design process to whip up my Wellie Rain Garden Plan: 1. PICK A THEME. Wellington rain boots! 2. BRAINSTORM. These are the words that pop into my head then when I think about rain boots: colorful, fun patterns, rubber, polka dots, red, yellow, rain coat, puddles, umbrellas, storms, wet, showers, wellies, Britain 3. RESEARCH. To find out a little bit more about Wellie rain boots, I dove into the internet. This is what I found: The Wellington boot was invented by the Duke of Wellington, Arthur Wellesley, in the early 1800s in Britain. Wellesley was considered one of the greatest defensive commanders of all time. He beat Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo. This time period was also the height of the English landscape style. This style broke away from the formal gardens of the Renaissance into expansive informal landscapes with large lawns and curving paths. 4. TRANSLATE TO PHYSICAL FORM. After looking at my brainstorming and research lists my plan evolved this way: Colors: bright, mostly warm colors that make me think of fun rain boots. I threw a little bit of purple/blue in there to signify rain, but focused more on the reds, oranges and yellows. Shapes: The circles are inspired by umbrellas and polka dots, plus the rectangle and rows of plants symbolize the Duke of Wellington's marching army. Though these are both strong, geometric shapes they are placed informally like the English landscape style (yes, I know I'm stretching it here on the English landscape style, but decided to just focus on the informal/asymmetrical aspect of it). Furniture: Of course, I included a bright colored umbrella. Wouldn't it be nice to sit under the umbrella during a spring shower and watch the rain garden do it's magic? Plants: All of my plants are recommended for rain gardens in US zone 5. When designing your own rain garden, just Google rain garden plants for zone # and a myriad of sources will pop up for you. Think about height, textures and colors. I kept mine to 3' or less. 5. CREATE THE PLAN. See above. If you're interested in more articles like this one, plus would like to receive a free copy of my theme garden eBook, please sign up for email updates here.

Rain gardens act like a sponge in areas troubled by stormwater drainage and flooding. They reduce stormwater runoff while beautifying the landscape.

Sort out a soggy yard with a gorgeous rain garden. Explore our FAQs to understand this appealing method for managing runoff on your property.

A rain garden is a scooped-out plot strategically located to capture stormwater spilling from impervious surfaces, such as rooftops and driveways. Some environmental groups are encouraging rain gardens and educating the public about them.

Rain garden is a garden that is designed to use rainwater for growing plants. It can store a great level of moisture and nutrients. Here is how to build one

A permaculture swale is a technique that captures water for irrigation and slowing runoff. Learn what a swale is and why you might need one in your yard.

A backyard rain garden catches stormwater so it can seep into the soil instead of washing into drains and sewers. Follow our guide and make your own.

Plant a rain garden in your own yard with these simple-to-follow steps.

A seminar will teach you how to create this natural way to control runoff in your yard

Water management is an important aspect in the design of a sustainable garden, for without water nothing grows, as I’ve said before, it’s virtually the very essence of life itself! In Permaculture,…

When you plant a rain garden, you do your part for the environment, filtering runoff and protecting groundwater. Pick the right plants and you're also rewarded with a beautiful garden!

The Kensington Library bioretention pond before and after the large rain storm in April 2014. This image shows how stormwater management practices can infiltrate stormwater and reduce localized flooding after a storm.

Did you know that typical landscaping practices could actually harm rivers and creeks?

What is a rain garden? We give a picture history of ours, touching on rain garden design, plant selection and how we dug them.

You don’t need a fancy bioswale or complicated French drain system: Plants alone can make a big impact. Refugia founder Jeff Lorenz explains.

A Roma un

Offering a wide array of proactive, eco-friendly options to mitigate soil erosion and manage stormwater runoff in a residential landscape.

Sometimes runoff water from impervious surfaces will concentrate and cause erosion problems. Rain gardens harvest this water, filter pollutants, and prevent erosion.

In California, when the rain comes, it has a habit of coming in torrents. And for yards with drainage problems that can be a soggy mess. Here’s how to get your yard ready for the next deluge.

Rain gardens use run-off from roofs, driveways, other impervious surfaces. Rainwater is used by native plants rather than running to the storm sewer or ditch.

Cottage gardens are intentionally casual. Go big on color, but light on labor with this classic, informal garden style.

You don’t need a fancy bioswale or complicated French drain system: Plants alone can make a big impact. Refugia founder Jeff Lorenz explains.

A crashing thunderstorm after a brutally hot day is one of Washington's summertime pleasures. The rain comes down in sheets, cooling the air and washing it clean. But along with removing pollutants from the air, the rain gathers up any...

It's a beautiful flower bed—and a reservoir for yard and roof runoff

Rain gardens do triple duty.