Rain Garden Opportunities

What if all our neighborhoods incorporated stormwater that drains from the roof into the natural landscaping around our homes? Plants would be watered naturally, the groundwater recharged, and excessive curbing and stormwater systems could be eliminated. Instead of this modern, concrete-filled, suburban environment we could have flourishing ecosystems in our own yards, as well as better water quality in our creeks and streams. Utilizing rain gardens can help with many of our storm water issues.

A rain garden is a garden with a shallow depression that captures runoff from impervious surfaces, such as rooftops, patios, driveways, and parking lots, before it enters the storm water system. Rain gardens can be customized and are limited only by the resources and time you want to put into them. They use natural processes to improve water quality by filtering pollutants and reducing the amount of storm water runoff. The water easily infiltrates into the soil because of the deep roots of the native plants and recharges the groundwater supply.

In 2013, Bluegrass Greensource received a grant through the Kentucky’s Division of Water to conduct an education program about rain gardens. With this grant Bluegrass Greensource will continue to work with community partners to maintain a rain garden program by leading workshops about rain garden benefits on water quality and quantity, encouraging their construction, and keeping a register of rain gardens built in Central Kentucky.

Bluegrass Greensource will be hosting a series of rain garden workshops sponsored by the Kentucky Division of Water. These workshops are free to the public and participants may be eligible to receive a $250 grant for native plants. This grant will offer residents of Jessamine, Scott, Madison, Clark, Bourbon and Woodford Counties educational opportunities as well as possible funds for plant materials. A Rain Garden Tour will also be offered in each county after the grant program has ended.

UPCOMING WORKSHOPS

February 24th – Bourbon County Middle School, 6-8 p.m.

April 23rd – Woodford County Extension Office,  more information coming soon

April 29th – Bourbon County Extension Office, 1-4 p.m.

May 6th – Madison County Extension Office, 1-5 p.m.

May 7th – Clark County; Rain Garden and Invasive Species Workshop, more information coming soon

If you would like to learn more about rain garden and possible grant opportunities, I would encourage you to visit our webpage at: www.bgGreensource.org/rain-gardens/.

 

Rain Garden Tour

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