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Rain Barrels and Rain Gardens

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Weather  Send Weather a private message!


My Weather
Posted on Tuesday, March 25, 2008 - 10:37 am EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Greetings. Since buying my house last May I've been wanting to put up a rain barrel to collect water from the gutter on at least one corner of the house (the wettest part). Does anyone have any experience and advice with rain barrels?

Also, my uphill neighbor's gutter flows right into my yard creating a nice swamp. I've planted river birch and have red twig dogwoods coming. A landscaping friend reminded me to plant a rain garden. Any advice on what to plant and how to maintain? I'm probably going to go with natives but they tend to be expensive (oddly enough).

Just doing my part to keep the rivers from flooding.... Of course, floods are great source of fertilizer ;-)

Thank you.

Weather - Missouri, Zone "5 / 6"
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Lovinlife  Send Lovinlife a private message!



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Posted on Tuesday, March 25, 2008 - 11:44 am EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

A rain barrel! I don't have one now, but that conjures up so many memories from my childhood when we had one, and reminds me of that song we sang:

Oh jolly playmate
Come out and play with me
And bring your dollies three
Climb up my apple tree
LOOK DOWN MY RAIN BARREL
Slide down my cellar door
And we'll be jolly friends
Forevermore

I've never heard of a rain garden, though, so like you, Janet, I'm waiting for someone to tell us about it.

Are you new to GB? If so, Ihope you'll go to the Social Forum and introduce yourself.

Lovinlife - Utah, Zone "5"
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Posted on Tuesday, March 25, 2008 - 12:32 pm EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Hi Janet: Welcome to Gardenbuddies and like Gloria said, introduce yourself in our Social Forum. We are very willing to help you if you have questions also.

My favorite greenhouse in our town has a Rain Garden and they specialize in plantings which help the environment. Shoreline protection, native plants being the main focus.
I checked out their suggestions of native and non-native plants that could be used in a Rain Garden:

Glad you planted red twig dogwood (wonderful for that red, winter color). You could add:

Chelone
Japanese iris
flag iris
Siberian iris
ferns - Cinnamon & others
Joe Pye weed
Cimafuga
grasses
Asclepias incarnata (will attract Monarch Butterflies lize crazy)

Well, those are some suggestions. You are smart to do your "part in keeping the rivers from flooding". Smart girl. Good for you. I'll bet your "swamp area" will be lovely.

Denise--Northern Wisconsin, Z3b
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Growit  Send Growit a private message!



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Posted on Tuesday, March 25, 2008 - 12:51 pm EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Hi Janet. I have three water butts. Are they what you would call rain barrels? They look like barrels and are attached to the downpipes from the gutters. I am in UK hence the difference in terminology...I think.

I am doing a bog garden here in one of the gardens I work in. That must be along the same lines as a rain garden. The garden has two underground springs and when it rains best part of their lawn is under water.
I obviously have no idea what is native to you so I will leave that to Denise.

Growit - Hants UK, Zone "8/9"
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Weather  Send Weather a private message!


My Weather
Posted on Tuesday, April 01, 2008 - 12:45 pm EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Thank you for all of this information!

Lovinlife -- I believe that we had to practice that song on the piano. Oh, the good old days of avoiding piano practice ;)

Growit - Yes! Rain Butts are same as rain barrels. I have the covered gutters (Leaf Guard) but still get tons of spruce & pine needles in them as well pieces of acorns leftover from squirrels. So I'm wondering, in addition to regular cleaning of gutters, how much maintenance is required with the rain barrels? Do the barrels tend to develop odor over time? Others not familiar with the barrels have also mentioned issues with mosquitoes. Frankly, I think last summer's mosquito problem was a combination of dirty gutters, debris between roof of back porch and eaves (where animals nest) and English Ivy (that may be a personal prejudice having seen Mom plant it and then tear it up). Thank you for your insight.

Denise -- your plant advice for rain gardens has provided a few "aha!" moments! I bought Joe Pye weed in Michigan last summer but had to plant it wherever there was open soil. Thanks to you I now know where to put it! I have a cimifuga but it waffled through the summer and may not come back. We'll see ;-).

Then the Asclepias incarnata turns out to be "Swamp Milkweed". Yey! I've been coveting that as well as the turtlehead (chelone). Time to start stalking the nurseries. Oh, and I ordered Clematis crispa and plan to plant it close to the wet area since it's native to southern wetlands. This is sooo exciting.

Thanks again!

Weather - Missouri, Zone "5 / 6"
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Oldiebutgoodie  Send Oldiebutgoodie a private message!


Posted on Tuesday, April 01, 2008 - 01:20 pm EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Our kids bought us rain barrels several years ago. The were made up locally from plastic 45 gallon drums. Right at the bottom, a regular brass faucet has been attached. I have no idea what sort of material was used to fasten it. We find them very convenient for a drip water system. I keep a piece of fiberglass screening tied over the tops so that they don't become breeding grounds for mosquitoes, and that keeps any flying debris out, so there is no clean-up at all. If I ever discover how the faucets are attached, I'll let you know.

Oldiebutgoodie - Ontario, Zone "5"
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Growit  Send Growit a private message!



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Posted on Tuesday, April 01, 2008 - 05:40 pm EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Weather wrote on Tuesday, April 01, 2008 - 12:45 pm:

I have the covered gutters (Leaf Guard) but still get tons of spruce & pine needles in them as well pieces of acorns leftover from squirrels. So I'm wondering, in addition to regular cleaning of gutters, how much maintenance is required with the rain barrels?

I do have to clean out the down pipe a few times a year. This is because I have a diverter attached to stop the butt overflowing. All the moss off the roof collects in there. It is quite quick to do so not really a problem.
Weather wrote on Tuesday, April 01, 2008 - 12:45 pm:

Do the barrels tend to develop odor over time?

Not so far and I have had one of them for 5 years now.
Weather wrote on Tuesday, April 01, 2008 - 12:45 pm:

Others not familiar with the barrels have also mentioned issues with mosquitoes.

Mine is closed. The diverter comes in from the back so I have no open top which means no mosquitoes.

Growit - Hants UK, Zone "8/9"
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Plantindude  Send Plantindude a private message!




My Garden
Posted on Wednesday, April 02, 2008 - 09:21 am EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Rain gardens are becoming more poplar weather as a prevention tool sort of for run off for home and commercial buildings . there's alot ofinfo on the web. One of the best sources I've found is through your countyextension office and master gardener problems,also through your local collage horticulture schools/programs. you be suprised how they are willing to be on passing on info or directing you in the right direction hope this helps ....Mike

Plantindude - Ohio, Zone "5"
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Karma  Send Karma a private message!



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My Garden
Posted on Friday, April 18, 2008 - 04:11 pm EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

http://www.gardenbuddies.com/forum/messages/1076016/1250242.html

Here is what we have so far, we are looking at the south side differently.

Karma - PNW, Zone "Z-Denial "
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Weather  Send Weather a private message!


My Weather
Posted on Tuesday, April 29, 2008 - 03:40 pm EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Wow. Thank you for the link to another discussion on rain barrels. I'm now trying to recruit others around here to help me do the work ;-).

As for the Rain Garden, I think I have the plants selected -- dependent on availability of natives in upcoming sales. Part of the wet area is a beautiful green lawn. But grass in the wettest spot is sparse. That's where I'll start. However, it is just too wet for digging up clay soil. Clumps will virtually turn to cement. We need at least a week without rain. I did see another post about the "Lasagna method" for starting a garden but not sure if that will be appropriate for starting a small rain garden.

Weather - Missouri, Zone "5 / 6"

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