Rain Gardens - Natural Filters and Water Barriers
Content:
Rain flower beds: photo
It is clear that we are not able to influence the weather conditions, and often excessive precipitation can flood the lowlands of the site and form rivers and puddles where water is not absorbed. But, now, we can organize the site in such a way that excess moisture does not accumulate or leak away, but goes in the right direction.
What are rain flower beds?
Rain flower beds: photo
Currently, specialists have developed natural filtration systems. These are flower beds that help to rationally use excess water on the site.
A natural filter usually consists of perennials capable of temporarily storing water, thereby changing the direction of its flow. Thus, moisture in this place where the flower garden stands will not stagnate.
Such barriers are arranged near lakes and near rivers to prevent the flood of the lowlands.
Conditions for the functioning of the natural barrier
To create such a miracle - a flower garden on your site, it is important to follow some rules.
- A natural barrier should be built where the excess water drains off.
- It is important that the rain garden is at a distance of no closer than three meters from the object that we want to protect from flooding.
- It is impossible to organize a barrier at the very bottom of the site, since in this case the plants will not fulfill their purpose, in addition, a swamp will form in this place.
- Drainage is the main component of the natural barrier soil. The more water the plants need to absorb, the thicker the drainage layer should be.
- The topmost layer should be a carefully mulched piece of land. Strong materials should be used as mulch. Such as stones or large pieces of wood that will not be washed away by a large stream of water. The mulch should be renewed annually.
Suitable crops for a rain garden
Rain flower beds: photo
Not all flowers can fulfill such important functions. "Candidates" for a rain garden must have a set of the following characteristics:
- Excellent moisture resistance, in some cases against water stagnation.
- Drought tolerance;
- Plants must be perennial;
- Such plants must have strong and branched roots;
- The stems of the plant should be rough, strong and vigorous;
- In addition to functionality, plants must be beautiful;
- The plant should be as unpretentious as possible, and require minimal effort from the gardener during the growing process.
The grasses are popular defenders against heavy rainfall to preserve flood-prone areas.
So, on the shores of ponds and rivers, you can often see reeds or reeds.
However, in the plots, trying to preserve the beauty and decorativeness of the garden, gardeners most often plant the reed grass, steep-shed, rod-shaped millet. Along with them, daylilies will look good and at the same time will not lose their functionality. Amsonia Habrichta is a very effective perennial that perfectly complements the above composition. Veronica Virginskaya grows up to one and a half meters long. Has a slightly red tint of leaves and narrow stripes of flowers. Siberian irises are beautiful flowers that fit in their functional characteristics into a rain garden. You can also plant the following crops with unusual names: dwarf monarda, virginian physicalostegia, gelenium, rudbeckia, meat-red cotton wool, blue lobelia. In shaded areas, ferns do well as a barrier.
Rain garden care
Rain flower beds: photo
Plants that you have planted to function as a water barrier begin to actively cope with it only from the second or third year after planting. All this time, the flower garden needs careful care. This is watering, and loosening, and feeding.
In autumn and winter, no additional maintenance work is required. After the snow melts, dry stems are removed, and densely planted and overgrown plants must be thinned out.
Drawing a conclusion, we can say that rain flower beds are rational, modern and quite decorative.
