New Rain Garden Care Guide

Thank you for reading our care and maintenance tips for your new, current or future rain garden.  A big Thank You if you chose Abundant Design to design and/or install your rain garden!

Rain Garden Care-

After the First Few Rains

-If the rain garden basin fails to drain within a day or two following rains, contact us or your contractor immediately.  There are some tricks to help with infiltration or downspouts may need diverted until plants establish.  A last resort would be to remove a portion of the berm so it does not retain excess water, until plants establish, then rebuild the berm or spillway later.

-If it leaks/overflows anywhere besides the armored spillway, contact us or your contractor immediately.  The low spots need to be fixed to prevent erosion damage.

-Check the plants and mulch to make sure the mulch isn't covering any new plants or clogging your stand pipe/overflow if you have one.  Adjust the mulch as needed.

The First Season(s)

-Water the rain garden every day at first, every couple days the first week or two, every three to four days for the next few weeks, then as needed if we go without rain or they look droopy.  This is important as the young plants have not yet developed the deep root systems they need to thrive.  After the first season it should only need watering during extended dry spells.

-If you had your downspouts piped to the rain garden, water the trenching scar to help turf recover.

-Controlling the weeds the first year or two will help the plants thrive and fill in.  We recommenced pulling weeds instead of chemical control. Just be careful not to disturb the roots of young desirable plants.  The edges can be invaded by turf grass or creeping lawn weeds.  A good edging material will prevent and slow this invasion.  

Is your city providing Rebates?  The RAIN CAMPAIGN is Live!

Ongoing Care

-If plants die, replace as needed for aesthetics as well as function

-As the rain garden matures, watch for settling or erosion of the berm(s)

-Your plants should dominate the space.  Weeds that appear should be spindly and easy to pull.  'Weed trees' like mulberry, maple and elm, will be the biggest threat once established.  Pull as needed.

Enjoy your new runoff filtering, flood mitigating, pollinator feeding water feature!