We Are Planting A Raised Garden In The Bottom Of…
Bill Asked
We are planting a raised garden in the bottom of our yard, which is the watershed for our neighborhood. Because of this, the area will tend to flood completely over the garden if a large rainfall occurs. How damaging to our garden will this be? I am going to attach weed control paper across the top, which I hope will minimize any loss of topsoil and/or plants. I will drill some weep holes on the sides to allow for more drainage. This area normally dries out very well once the water drains and the sun hits it.
The Gardener’s Answer
Hello, Bill: From what you have described, it sounds like you may have the perfect situation for creating a rain garden. As all the water from your neighborhood travels to this space, it is bringing with it all the harmful lawn chemicals, pesticides, and oil-based products it has collected along the way. A rain garden will help absorb these toxic substances and filter them before reaching our streams. I am not sure what you were thinking in terms of plant material, but for the reason mentioned earlier it is not a good idea to use this area as a vegetable garden. Whether you decide to install a rain garden or a raised bed, the plant selection is crucial to the success of this garden. You will need to take into consideration the amount of sunlight this area receives. Full sun or part sun is ideal, but a shade garden is also possible with the right plants. As far as a raised bed goes, it is a good idea to add weep holes for additional drainage and landscape fabric to help prevent soil loss. But again, choosing native/non-invasive plants that are tolerant of wet conditions, as well as drought conditions once established, is the only way to plant this location. As long as the area drains within a day, there are many plants to choose from and as these plants establish their root systems, it will help keep the soil intact. For a list of possible planting material visit www.msdlouky.org/aboutmsd/rainbarrels.htm
and download the rain garden manual or you can call (502) 587-0603 to request a copy.
