On rainy days in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, any water that falls on roads or rooftops or other impervious surfaces doesn't have the chance to soak into the ground. Instead, it becomes runoff that carries pollutants and sediment into storm drains and then on to creeks. These pulses of fast-moving storm water then erode the banks of those creeks, sending sediment and pollutants downstream and ultimately toward the Chesapeake Bay. At Nature Forward's Woodend Nature Sanctuary in Chevy Chase, Maryland, we're installing rain gardens and conservation landscaping to slow down, spread out and soak in stormwater before it leaves the property.
In this video, we will walk you through the process of constructing a simple rain garden and also show you an example of a conservation landscape. Ready to begin? Let's go!
With Alice Sturm and Gabriela Paola Franco Pena of Nature Forward:
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And featuring Eric Ettenhofer and Brad Klinedinst of Lerch Brothers Landscape Contractors:
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Funding provided by the Chesapeake Bay Trust and the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection through the Montgomery County Water Quality Protection Fund.
00:00 General Introduction
00:55 Impervious surfaces, runoff, and role of rain gardens
1:50 Picking a rain garden location at the Woodend Sanctuary
2:29 Infiltration and using a percolation test for assessment
5:21 Design of the rain garden
6:41 Installation process begins
7:12 Excavation, placement of rocks, landscape fabric, and compost
8:53 Planting, including the benefits of native plants for rain gardens
12:21 Curb Cut installation
13:44 Winter turns to spring at the Woodend Sanctuary
14:20 Spring arrives and rain garden is put on-line
14:54 One last step
15:32 First rainy day
15:58 Conclusion
16:56 Comparison of design on paper with the built rain garden
Some sources when shopping for Native Plants :
In addition to looking at nurseries local to you, here are some others that often stock native plants.
Order Online:
Izel Native Plants [ Ссылка ]
Bona Terra [ Ссылка ]
In Person:
Lauren’s Garden Service [ Ссылка ]
Go Native Tree Farm [ Ссылка ]
Chesapeake Natives [ Ссылка ]
Earth Sangha [ Ссылка ]
Herring Run Nursery [ Ссылка ]
Nature by Design [ Ссылка ]
Hill House Native Plants [ Ссылка ] Watermark Woods [ Ссылка ] Schott Nursery [ Ссылка ]
Good luck, and please tell us about your native plant rain garden!
