Rain Garden

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A Rain Garden can be your contribution to solving local water pollution issues and localized flooding. By building a rain garden and positioning it correctly in your yard you are taking responsibility for the clean rainwater that falls on your property.  By stopping that rainwater from picking up oils and sediment from driveways and lawns you have increased the likelihood that the rainwater soaking into the ground is clean.

By reducing the quantity of the contaminated rainwater or storm water from reaching the street, sewer or even direct contact with rivers or waterways you are performing a personal solution to water conservation and pollution reduction.

 

Native Wildflowers are Ideal for Adding Color to a Rain Garden

Basically, rain gardens are an inexpensive, simple to implement and environmentally sound solution to urban storm water runoff.

The benefits of planting rain gardens are numerous. Rain garden benefits include pollution control, flooding protection, habitat creation and water conservation.

A Rain Garden will:

 

   •    Filter runoff pollution

   •    Recharge local groundwater

   •    Conserve water

   •    Improve water quality

   •    Protect rivers and streams

   •    Remove standing water in your yard

   •    Reduce mosquito breeding

   •    Increase beneficial insects that eliminate pest insects

   •    Reduce potential of home flooding

        Create habitat for birds & butterflies

   •    Survive drought seasons

   •    Reduce garden maintenance

   •    Enhance sidewalk appeal

   •    Increase garden enjoyment

 

Rain Gardens are a unique way to alleviate your drainage issues while helping to reduce water pollution and preserve our precious drinking water system. Instead of directing your storm water to the cities drainage system we will direct it to a rain garden that is planted with native perennials, grasses and shrubs. This creates a beautifully planted garden in your yard while helping you to live a more sustainable lifestyle. Your new rain garden will help to filter runoff, recharge local ground water, protect streams and rivers, improve water quality, create wildlife habitat and much more.

 

Wetlands:

 

Despite the growing awareness of this unique ecosystem, there are sobering threats facing the survival of our wetlands: 

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 A 2011 federal study estimated the U.S. lost 62,300 acres of wetlands between 2004-2009 — a loss rate 140% higher than from 1998-2004

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 Wetland habitat has now been cut within the contiguous U.S. to 110 million acres…. And those surviving wetlands face dangers like hypoxia due to water pollution and invasive species. Pythons and melaleuca in the Everglades (among a host of other destructive non-native species), and nutria in New Orleans continue to ravage the structure of this ecosystem

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 Wetlands are extremely sensitive, and are counted as one of the most vulnerable ecosystems subject to climate change

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Wetlands residents have suffered terribly due to increased habitat loss

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Link to Florida State web site https://ffgc.wildapricot.org/Policies-&-Positions

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Rain Barrels

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Using a rain barrel can save you a significant amount of money in a season. For each inch of rain that falls on 500 square feet of roof, you can collect 300 gallons of water.  In most areas of North America, that means you can collect more than a thousand gallons of water a year to use in your containers, houseplants, garden, or even your lawn. However, rain barrels are illegal in some areas -- be sure to check your local regulations before starting. 

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Link to how to make your own rain barrel:  http://www.bhg.com/gardening/yard/tools/make-a-rain-barrel-save-water/

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