06/08/2026
Have you ever wondered what makes a rain garden different from a regular garden?
While they may look similar at first glance, rain gardens are specially designed to capture, filter, and absorb stormwater runoff, helping to protect local waterways while creating a beautiful habitat for plants and pollinators.
Take a closer look as we explore the key parts of a rain garden and how each one works together to manage stormwater naturally:
1. Entrance:
The entrance prevents sediments from clogging the rain garden and filters them uphill. Occasional maintenance includes removing trash, sediments, and debris to protect the entrance from erosion.
2. Wood Chips or Ground Cover:
Wood chips or ground cover protect the soil surface from erosion, retain moisture for plants, suppress weeds, and help slow stormwater as it moves through the rain garden.
3. Filter Bed:
The filter bed is a layer of sandy soil mix that helps store and filter stormwater. Filter beds are beneficial, and often necessary, where existing soil drains poorly.
4. Temporary Ponding:
A rain garden is designed to temporarily hold up to six inches of stormwater during rain events. This shallow ponding area slows runoff, allows water to soak into the soil, and helps reduce flooding and erosion downstream.
5. Outflow:
The outflow is the designated area where excess water overflows. The height of the outflow determines the depth of ponding. You can protect the outflow from erosion with a more rigid material, such as rock.
