water

Rain Gardens

RAIN GARDENS

Rain gardens are attractive, landscaped areas planted with perennial native plants which don’t mind getting 'wet feet.' They are beautiful gardens, built in depressions, which are designed to capture and filter stormwater runoff from impervious surfaces around the home, such as rooftops and driveways. The district has assisted installing over 30 rain gardens across the country, regularly presents on Rain Gardens to local groups, worked on creating the Rain Garden Manual for Homeowners instructional guide which is downloadable by clicking on 'Rain Garden Manual' icon to the right, or by calling the office at 216/524-6580.

You can find many of the plants for rain gardens at the resources below. Remember, just because it is a native plant, does not mean it is a good choice for a rain garden. Refer to the plant list in the Rain Garden Manual for Homeowners.

Rain Garden 101 Workshop: Learn more about rain gardens during this 1 hour workshop recorded spring 2021.

Master Rain Gardener Program: Take this 5-week course that teaches you how to design and install your own rain garden.

Rain Garden plants:

Places to buy Rain Garden Soil Mixture:

  • Kurtz Brothers - Bio-Retention Soil mix or you can make your own - the recommended soil mix for a rain garden is 50-60% sand, 30-40% loamy topsoil (from your local garden store or landscape supplier) and 5-10% organic matter (from your yard waste compost)

Professional Rain Gardeners:

OTHER RESOURCES

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