Help your local watershed By creating a rain garden Presented by OOB/Saco Alternative Education

What is a rain garden? A rain garden is a natural way to help protect our water resources. A rain garden works by collecting run-off water from roofs and parking lots into a dug out depression. As the run-off water soaks into the rain garden it is filtered by native plants and absorbed back into the ground. This helps to protect our Saco watershed! A rain garden is a natural way to help protect our water resources. A rain garden works by collecting run-off water from roofs and parking lots into a dug out depression. As the run-off water soaks into the rain garden it is filtered by native plants and absorbed back into the ground. This helps to protect our Saco watershed!

What we did:  1st step: calculated a garden space that would catch 30% of the run-off from the learning center roof  2nd step: designed our 300 square ft. garden space to be kidney-shaped. You can chose any shape you like.  1st step: calculated a garden space that would catch 30% of the run-off from the learning center roof  2nd step: designed our 300 square ft. garden space to be kidney-shaped. You can chose any shape you like.

Choose Native Plants for your garden  Why it is important to use Native plants? they filter the pollution better adapted to native soil and climate  Why it is important to use Native plants? they filter the pollution better adapted to native soil and climate

Plant suggestions  Choose a variety of perennial plant sizes for your rain garden  Choose native hardy varieties that can withstand both wet conditions and dry  Order enough plants to cover 1 every 2 ft (remember they will spread)  Order larger plants for the center and smaller/ground covers for the berm  Choose a variety of perennial plant sizes for your rain garden  Choose native hardy varieties that can withstand both wet conditions and dry  Order enough plants to cover 1 every 2 ft (remember they will spread)  Order larger plants for the center and smaller/ground covers for the berm We planted:  For the center: Dogwood, Fother Gila, & high bush blueberries  For the mid section: black-eyed susans, medium bush blueberries, mallows, hollyhocks, & daisies  For the berm: Bearberry and low lying juniper We planted:  For the center: Dogwood, Fother Gila, & high bush blueberries  For the mid section: black-eyed susans, medium bush blueberries, mallows, hollyhocks, & daisies  For the berm: Bearberry and low lying juniper

Steps 3 & 4:  3: Dig a depression at least 1 ft. below the sod from edge to edge to catch the rain water run-off. Remove sod and dirt to the outer edges facing away from the roof (or parking area) to create the ‘berm’ (the farther edge built up to create a bowl).  4: Make sure that you dig your garden’s lowest point in the middle  3: Dig a depression at least 1 ft. below the sod from edge to edge to catch the rain water run-off. Remove sod and dirt to the outer edges facing away from the roof (or parking area) to create the ‘berm’ (the farther edge built up to create a bowl).  4: Make sure that you dig your garden’s lowest point in the middle

Steps 5 & 6  5: Cover your depression with 3 to 4 inches of top soil mixed with compost  6: Overlap layers of landscape fabric parallel to the roof over your entire garden area except for the berm  5: Cover your depression with 3 to 4 inches of top soil mixed with compost  6: Overlap layers of landscape fabric parallel to the roof over your entire garden area except for the berm

Start Planting!!  7: Cut an X through the landscape fabric where you want to transplant your new plant  8: Dig a hole bigger than the root ball of your new plant, place it in the hole with the root ball 1/4 in. above the surface and cover with soil.  Last but not least, spread a thick layer of good quality mulch over the entire garden and then WATER!!  7: Cut an X through the landscape fabric where you want to transplant your new plant  8: Dig a hole bigger than the root ball of your new plant, place it in the hole with the root ball 1/4 in. above the surface and cover with soil.  Last but not least, spread a thick layer of good quality mulch over the entire garden and then WATER!!

A Complete Rain Garden!!!  Our Rain Garden was made possible by generous grants from the Dept. of Environmental Protection & KIDS Consortium  We encourage everyone to come and see our garden at 80 Common St. and to make a rain garden on your property, too!  Our Rain Garden was made possible by generous grants from the Dept. of Environmental Protection & KIDS Consortium  We encourage everyone to come and see our garden at 80 Common St. and to make a rain garden on your property, too!