Construction of my two rain gardens remained on schedule this week in spite of losing two days of work due to rain.

A dumpster was delivered to my house to help dispose of the clay soil that needed to be removed from the garden sites. I found it was far more efficient to dig the clay, load it in my wheelbarrow, and dump the soil in the dumpster instead of loading the soil in my truck and taking it to the landfill. The berms that surround each rain garden were completed using the topsoil that I removed when I began excavating the gardens. I saved the sod when I started digging and used it to cover the berms to prevent erosion when it rains. The berms will help contain water when it flows into the garden during a rain fall.

When I made my proposal to the Watershed Stewards Academy to install two rain gardens in my front yard, it was hoped that this project would provide a means for outreach and education to my neighbors. So far I would say that achieving this goal has been a success. I have had the opportunity to meet a number of my neighbors and explain to them how rain gardens help prevent polluted storm water from running off our yards and into nearby waterways. I have also told folks that my project has required moving more earth than is usually involved in constructing a rain garden due to the quantity of clay soil in my yard. Generally an average size rain garden (about 120 square feet) can be excavated and the soil prepared for planting in one day with plant installation occurring the following day.

During the coming week I am planning to finish digging the inlets for each garden that will channel the rain water from the downspouts to the rain gardens. The inlets are made using river rock spread about two inches deep over a bed of landscape fabric. Each inlet will be about 4 feet long and a foot wide. Outlets for overflow during excessive rain will be placed on the berms at the opposite end of each garden and will be constructed of the same materials as the inlets.

Once these items are completed, the dumpster can be hauled away.The bio-soil mix can be brought in so I can back fill the gardens where all the clay has been removed. Bio-soil is a mix of concrete sand and Leaf-gro that allows rain water to percolate down into the subsoil where it can be cleansed of pollutants and help replenish ground water supplies. It is also the soil mix in which the plants for the rain garden are installed.

All the plants have been selected and ordered, taking into account the amount of sun exposure each garden will receive. The larger garden receives full sun while the smaller garden receives sunlight during the afternoon.