Verdant Design

The recent ice storm will soon create another problem: flooding. With the temperatures hovering around freezing, the ice/snow/rainwater will momentarily back up around the community since the drainageways will also be filled with ice and slush. So, what can a rain garden offer when it is freezing? Well, one of the basic premises of a rain garden is it’s shape. It is a shallow depression meant to hold water for a short time on the surface. This offers a place for the melting ice to gather and not flood somewhere else.

Since the last photo, the lobelia and other plants have been cut back. It changes the appearance of the space, but the snow gives away the shape of the garden. The plants were all choped with the chaff left in place to acts as a mulch. This also acts to slow down rain water (rough surfaces slow water more than smooth).