RainGarden
Plan
Which impervious surfaces cause runoff?Choosea raingarden locationona
nearbypervious surface that will collect the runoff. It shouldn’t be too close toa
buildingor near steep slopes. Thinkabout how it will look. Drawa sketchof the
raingarden–howbigwill it be?What plantswill youuse?You can findguides for
nativeplants for Puget Soundat cityhabitats.org/nativeplantguides. Createa list
ofmaterials youwill need (seepage8).
Checkout theRainGardenHandbook for
WesternWashingtonat cityhabitats.org/resources
for a complete list of instructions.
Create
Once youhave your raingardendesign,mark theboundary andbegin removing the soil. You’ll
needanentrypoint forwater, likeapipe froma roof downspout. Thebottomof your raingarden
shouldbe level. Fill the raingardenwitha raingarden soil mix, plant your plants, then coverwith
mulch tominimizeerosionandweeds.
Improve
Keepaneyeon your raingarden tomake sure it isworking. Does thewater soak inafter a storm?
Are theplants surviving?Maintain your raingardenby keeping thewater entry andoverflowpoints
freeof debris, andwater your plants if theyneed it during summer especially for the first two years.
WESTERN
WASHINGTON
RAINGAREN
HANDBOOK
level unlinedbottom
pondingdepth
of 6”— 12”
top surfaceof
pondingarea
selectednative
plantsor hardy
cultivators
bottomof
excavation
raingarden
soil mix
gradual side slopes
(2:1maximum)
overflow
containment
overflow
lower than
inflow
existing
soil
1’
2’
mulch layer
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