Bluegrass Greensource will be hosting a series of Rain Garden Workshops in Woodford, Clark, and Madison Counties this summer and fall. Residents of Woodford, Clark, and Madison Counties that attend a workshop are eligible to apply to receive a grant of $250 to construct a rain garden at their homes.

The first event in the series will be hosted in Madison County at Homegrown Hideaways on July 11 and 12. This workshop will be one of many workshops offered that day, focused on a variety of sustainability topics, at the Whippoorwill Festival.

The first day of the workshop will promote best management practices for stormwater and is designed to educate homeowners about the benefits of installing a rain garden and improving water quality. Participants will learn how to determine the right location, how to build and maintain a rain garden, and what types of plants are most successful and environmentally beneficial. Additionally, the participants will have the opportunity to take part in planting native plants in a rain garden near the workshop.

The second day of the workshop will promote planting of milkweed and other native plant species that help support monarch butterflies lifecycle. The workshop will discuss why the Monarchs need our help and what benefit native plant species have to the butterflies and other pollinators. It will also cover how to construct a waystation and what plants to choose.

Both sections of the workshop will offer a hands-on component, while constructing a rain garden/ monarch waystation at Homegrown Hideaways.

Please check updates to Bluegrass Greensource’s website for more Rain Garden opportunities coming soon.

This work was funded in part by a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under §319(h) of the Clean Water Act.