Rainwater Gardens
What are rainwater gardens and why are they used? Rainwater gardens are used both to clean and conserve water, and as a way to beautify your property. They are designed to go in swales or small depressions, which provide an opening in the soil to soak up large amounts of rain running off impervious surfaces such as roofs, driveways and patios.
Why They’re So Useful
By capturing fast moving rainwater, rainwater gardens accomplish several things: rainwater now soaks into the ground to replenish groundwater aquifers; grasses and other native plants better filtrate the water; and they help prevent erosion of soil from your property as well as slowing the flow of water, helping prevent downhill damage to creeks, ponds and lakes.
More than half of all pollutants to area creeks, lakes and rivers get there by way of stormwater run-off. Contaminants may include sediment, oil, gasoline, pesticides, and fertilizers, which promote the growth of algae. Curtailing run-off will limit pollution, which increases the water quality.
Prevention: Better than a Cure
Erosion is another serious problem caused by run-off from impervious services. When the ground is paved over, the water rushes off these surfaces and slams into the shorelines with surprising force. The larger volumes and increased force of the water causes damage to creek banks and flooding in lower lying areas. Rainwater gardens help prevent serious erosion which helps prevent flooding and other problems.
Wildflowers, shrubs and other aesthetically appealing plants are used in rainwater gardens. So in addition to preventing local environmental problems, they also add beauty to the area and enhance property values. Usually it’s a lot easier to prevent problems than to clean up their consequences after the fact. We highly recommend rainwater gardens in the many places where they can make a real difference.
Rainwater Harvesting
By collecting, storing and using water where it falls, you will be practicing wise water management. You could also save a substantial sum of money in water bills over the long term. There are a number of methods available to harvest rainwater, but let’s start with a working description of this practice.
Rainwater harvesting is the gathering and storing of rainwater where it falls. Rainwater collected from the roofs of houses, apartments and other buildings can be harvested for multiple purposes. These include irrigation of gardens, lawns and shrubs and drinking water for animals. There are a number of types of systems to harvest rainwater ranging from very simple to complex industrial systems. Generally, rainwater is either collected from the ground or from a roof. The rate at which water can be collected from either system is dependent on the plan area of the system, its efficiency, and the intensity of rainfall.
Call Ecoscape’s landscaping professionals to schedule a free consultation. We’ll sit down with you and determine if your property is a good fit for a rainwater garden, and possibly other eco-friendly solutions.