The Gulley Park rain garden, shown here, will catch runoff water from the roof of a nearby

bathroom facility.

RAIN GARDENS
Through a new, attractive and environmentally sound landscaping practice, Northwest Arkansas has joined the latest gardening trend. At least eight rain gardens have been installed in Fayetteville alone. Rather than allowing rainwater runoff to flow over impervious surfaces and into storm sewers, these rain gardens capture this natural resource and thus allow it to soak gradually into the ground and recharge the groundwater. These shallow depressions or swales are planted with native perennial plants that can accept periods of heavy rain followed by long periods of drought conditions. Rain gardens can absorb 30 percent more water than a comparable parcel of turf. Such a garden permits the water to filter slowly into the ground rather than run off into storm drains. Over the past several years, Northwest Arkansas has experienced explosive population growth, accompanied by a corresponding increase in population density. This increase in population and density in the region has created a loss of urban green space. Along with the loss of green space has come an increase in storm water quantity and potential water quality problems. Katie Teague, County Extension Agent with the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension, specializes in water quality. Teague saw a need in Northwest Arkansas to implement rain gardens as a component of the storm water management system. She believed that several highly visible demonstration gardens would
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Story and photos by Joyce Mendenhall

A trend taking hold in Northwest Arkansas

Arkansas Gardener

make residents more aware of the problems water runoff creates and would encourage citizens to participate actively in solutions to those problems. The concept of rain gardens has been around for about 15 years, but until recently it was rarely implemented. Adapting the concept to create an attractive flower garden is just now beginning to take hold among home gardeners. Thanks to a grant from the U.S. Forest Service, a large group of volunteers from various areas of the Fayetteville community were able to plan, install, maintain and promote eight highly visible public demonstration sites. These gardens were placed strategically near two elementary schools, two city parks, and a supportive housing facility. Educational signage at each garden explains the benefits of rain gardens in Northwest Arkansas. As a result of this project, rain gardens are now being created at several homes, churches, schools and city facilities in the region. Teague attributes the success of the demonstration rain gardens project in Fayetteville to the collaboration of university, municipal, business, school and volunteer partners. The first rain garden was placed next to Leverett Elementary school. Parents joined other volunteers on a blustery Saturday in April to plant the garden. Students participated in planting their own garden at Happy Hollow Elementary school. We are excited to be selected to host a rain garden for this new project in

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Fayetteville, said Sharon Pepple, Principal of Happy Hollow. Through a practical application, this garden will be an extension of our science standards regarding ecosystems and natural resources in our state. Two city parks, Gulley and Walker, were chosen for the next demonstration sites. These gardens will be maintained by the City of Fayettevilles Parks and Recreation Department. Four unique gardens were planted on the site of the newly erected Seven Hills Transitional Living complex. Each of these gardens was designed using all butterfly host and nectar plants.

tolerance to take up high concentrations of toxic chemicals and even process some of these chemicals into less toxic derivatives.

GETTING OUT OF THE GUTTER AND INTO THE YARD The lyrics of a popular childrens song read, Rain, rain go away. But an increasingly important question is this: Where does the rain go when it goes away? Rain is natural; stormwater isnt. Government studies have shown that up to 70 percent of the pollution in our streams, rivers and lakes is carried there by stormwater. Most people never think about stormwater, but at least half of the pollution carried by stormwater comes from things we do in our yards and gardens! The average homeowner over-applies pesticides and fertilizers, often at rates many times that of farmers. Most of the rain that falls in urban areas falls on impervious surfaces like roads and parking lots. As water runs along these impermeable surfaces, it picks up whatever chemicals are there, from auto residuals like oil and exhaust to road treatments like tar and salts. The water runoff that reaches lawns and gardens often picks up fertilizers, pesticides and weed killers, which seep into the groundwater. This polluted runoff contributes to habitat destruction, fish kills, stream siltration and reduction in drinking water quality. Rain gardens help remove these pollutants from storm water runoff by allowing it to filter slowly into the ground rather than running into a storm drain. Particular plants have the ability and

A GROWING SOLUTION TO WATER POLLUTION There are many benefits to rain gardens besides their obvious capacity to absorb stormwater and reduce runoff. For one thing, the native plants planted in them attract all kinds of wildlife, including birds and butterflies. These are attractive additions to the landscape, enhancing the beauty of the neighborhood Native perennial flowers, grasses, and shrubs that prefer or tolerate moist soils thrive in rain gardens. These local plants tend to be well-adapted to a range of regional conditions and will flourish without chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Prairie flowers have deep roots that often go down ten feet. When the weather is dry, they can access sources of water unavailable to other vegetation and when it is wet, their root structures provide deep conduits into which rain can flow. ENHANCING YOUR HOME LANDSCAPE AND PROTECTING WATER QUALITY You might want to develop your own personal rain garden. Determine what kind of soils you have on your property. Estimate the area from which your garden will get rain. Then take 20, 30, and 60 percent of that for sand, silty, and clay soils, respectively. The result is how big your garden should be. Single family homes will typically range from 150 to 400 square feet in breadth since each roof usually has multiple rain spouts or runoff areas. The normal depth for a rain garden is from three to six inches. Adjust the depth to the infiltration rate. Poor infiltration calls for a shallow depression. If your soils suck up water, make your garden deeper to increase its storage capacity. Organic matter and sand will help improve the infiltration rate and water-holding capacity of soil with a high clay content.

This rain garden detail, created by Jeff Huber, University of Arkansas Community Design Center, shows a cross-sectional view of a typical rain garden design.

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February 2008

PLANTS USED IN FAYETTEVILLE RAIN GARDENS

Perennials and Herbaceous Plants Amsonia, Amsonia sp. Aster, New England, Aster novae-anglia Beardtongue, Penstemon digitalis Huskers Red Black-eyed Susan, Rudbeckia fulgida Goldstrum Blazing Star, Liatris spicata Kobod Blue Star, Amsonia hubrictii Cardinal Flower, Lobelia speciosa Catmint, Nepeta cataria Walkers Low Fern,Sensitive, Onoclea sensibilis Hypericum, Hypericum profificum Black-eyed Susan, Hyssop, Agastache rupestris Rudbeckia fulgida, Iris,Blue Flag, Iris versicolor Joe-Pye Weed, Eupatorium Purpureum shown here, is another great native plant for Milkweed, Asclepias use in the rain garden. Obedient Plant, Physostegia virginiana Ornamental Grass, Miscanthus sinensis Adagio and Little Kittens Ponytail Grass, Stipa tenuissima Rush, Striped, Baumea rebiginos Variegata Russian Sage, Perovskia atriplicifolia Tickseed, Golden, Coreopsis tinctoria

The Walker Park rain garden, shown here, captures stormwater runoff from a park pavilion roof.

Volunteers, shown here, put the finishing touches on a rain garden at Happy Hollow Elementary School.
It is important to realize that a rain garden is not a water garden or pond. Whereas a pond holds water all the time and can support aquatic plant and animal species, a rain garden is more like a sponge. Although water pools as runoff collects, the soil in a rain garden will absorb it within two to four days, an important characteristic that prevents its becoming a mosquito-breeding site. Because of its excellent drainage, the soil in a rain garden may actually become quite dry. Siting is important. Never place a rain garden against the house or on top of a septic tank drain field. Keep a ten-foot distance from the foundation. Twenty feet is better. One common-sense rule is to place your rain garden in line with the basic drainage pattern of your yard, so overflow will drain away from the house. The choice of plants is up to the gardener. Just be sure to consider the ability of each plant to flourish in both extreme wet and dry conditions. A suggested list of rain garden plants for Northwest Arkansas can be found at the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Services website: http://ppc.uaex.edu/ NWA_native_plants.pdf. Be sure to mulch the garden immediately after planting. Mulch acts as a sponge to capture heavy metals, oils, and grease. As the mulch decays, bacteria and plant roots have a chance to break down the pollutants. Mulch also retains moisture and thus benefits the garden during a drought. Shredded hardwood works particularly well in rain gardens because it doesnt float or blow away. Planting a rain garden may seem like a small thing, but if you calculate the amount of rain that runs off your roof, you probably will be surprised. Did you know that one inch of rain over one acre equals more than 27,000 gallons of water? Keeping rain where it falls by directing it into an attractive rain garden is a natural solution. You not only get a garden out of it, but you also protect our rivers, streams and lakes from pollution and mitigate the effects of drought. Thereby any gardener can become part of a beautiful solution to water runoff!m Joyce Mendenhall is a Master Gardener who gardens in Fayetteville. She designed the four Seven Hills Supportive Housing facilitys rain gardens, which feature plants that serve as butterfly host plants and nectar sources.

Blazing star, Liatris spicata, shown here, is a native prairie plant with deep roots which act as conduits into which rain can flow.

Great blue lobelia, Lobelia siphilitica, shown here, provides outstanding color in the rain garden.

Shrubs Butterfly Bush, Buddleia davidii Dogwood, Red Twig, Cornus sericea Inkberry, Ilex glabra Spicebush, Northern, Lindera benzoin Spirea, Bluebeard, Caryopteris x Clandonensi Trees Ash,Green, Fraxinus pennsylvanica Ash,White, Fraxinus americana Blackgum, Nyssa sylvatica Elm, Ulmus glabra Camperdownii Magnolia, Sweet Bay, Magnolia virginiana Maple,Red, Acer rubrum Redbud, Cercis canadensis Serviceberry, Amelanchier arborea Sweetgum, American, Liquidambar styraciflua Witch Hazel, Hammamelis virginiana Yaupon Holly, Dwarf, Ilex vomitoria Nana
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Arkansas Gardener

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