Planting the rain garden is the fun part! A number of planting designs and lists of suggested plants are included at the end of this publication. Use these for ideas, but don’t be afraid to be creative – there’s no single best way to plant a rain garden. Anyone who has ever done any gardening will have no problem planting a rain garden, but a few basic reminders are listed below.

Planting the rain garden

• Select plants that have a well established root system. Usually one or two-year-old plants will have root systems that are beginning to circle or get matted. (Note: use only nursery-propagated plants; do not collect plants from the wild).
• Make sure to have at least a rough plan for which plants will be planted where. Lay out the plants as planned one foot apart in a grid pattern, keeping them in containers if possible until they are actually planted to prevent drying out before they get in the ground.
• Dig each hole twice as wide as the plant plug and deep enough to keep the crown of the young plant level with the existing grade (just as it was growing in the cell pack or container). Make sure the crown is level and then fill the hole and firmly tamp around the roots to avoid air pockets.
• Apply double-shredded mulch evenly over the bed approximately two inches thick, but avoid burying the crowns of the new transplants. Mulching is usually not necessary after the second growing season unless the “mulched look” is desired.
• Stick plant labels next to each individual grouping. This will help identify the young native plants from non-desirable species (weeds) as you weed the garden.
• As a general rule plants need one inch of water per week. Water immediately after planting and continue to water twice a week (unless rain does the job) until the plugs are established. You should not have to water your rain garden once the plants are established. Plugs can be planted anytime during the growing season as long as they get adequate water.

Maintaining the rain garden

Weeding will be needed the first couple of years. Remove by hand only those plants you are certain are weeds. Try to get out all the roots of the weedy plants. Weeds may not be a problem in the second season, depending on the variety and tenacity of weeds present. In the third year and beyond, the native grasses, sedges, rushes, and wildflowers will begin to mature and will out-compete the weeds. Weeding isolated patches might still be needed on occasion.

After each growing season, the stems and seedheads can be left for winter interest, wildlife cover and bird food. Once spring arrives and new growth is 4-6-inches tall, cut all tattered plants back. If the growth is really thick, hand-cut the largest plants and then use a string trimmer to mow the planting back to a height of six to eight inches. Dead plant material can also be removed with a string trimmer or weed whacker (scythe) and composted or dis- posed of as appropriate.

The best way to knock back weeds and stimulate native plant growth is to burn off the dead plant material in the rain garden. However, burning is banned in most municipalities. Another option is to mow the dead plant material. If the mowing deck of your lawn mower can be raised to a height of six inches or so, go ahead and simply mow your rain garden. Then, rake up and compost or properly dispose of the dead plant material.

If the mower deck won’t raise that high, use a string trimmer or weed-eater to cut the stems at a height of 6-8 inches. On thicker stems, such as cup plant, goldenrods and some asters, a string trimmer may not be strong enough. For these, use hand clippers or pruning shears to cut the individual stems.

While rain gardens are a highly functional way to help protect water quality, they are also gardens and should be an attractive part of your yard and neighborhood. Think of the rain garden in the context of your home’s overall landscape design. Here are a few tips:

1. When choosing native plants for the garden, it is important to consider the height of each plant, bloom time and color, and its overall texture. Use plants that bloom at different times to create a long flowering season. Mix heights, shapes, and textures to give the garden depth and dimension. This will keep the rain garden looking interesting even when few wildflowers are in bloom.
2. When laying plants out, randomly clump individual species in groups of 3 to 7 plants to provide a bolder statement of color. Make sure to repeat these individual groupings to create repetition and cohesion in a planting. This will provide a more traditional formal look to the planting.
3. Try incorporating a diverse mixture of sedges, rushes, and grasses with your flowering species (forbs). This creates necessary root competition that will allow plants to follow their normal growth patterns and not outgrow or out-compete other species. In natural areas, a diversity of plant types not only adds beauty but also create a thick underground root matrix that keeps the entire plant community in balance. In fact, 80% of the plant mass in native prairie communities is underground. Once the rain garden has matured and your sedges, rushes and grasses have established a deep, thick root system, there will be less change in species location from year to year, and weeds will naturally decline.
4. Finally, consider enhancing the rain garden by using local or existing stone, ornamental fences, trails, garden benches, or additional wildflower plantings. This will help give the new garden an intentional and cohesive look and provide a feeling of neatness that the neighbors will appreciate.