Rain | Landscape and Garden Maintenance From Westville and Pinetown to Kloof , Hillcrest , Assagay , Drummond and Waterfall

Steve Hoogenakker has 20 years in the landscaping and leadership field. He can be reached by email at Steve@Landscape.Pro.

Steve Hoogenakker, MHA, CAI, CIC Midwest, MNLA, PLANET, MTGF, Showcase Landscape, Minnesota. Delano, Minnesota

(ArticlesBase SC #716184)

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/ – Rain Gardens, an Easy Way to Save Your Corner of the Planet

The Raingarden: Your easy contribution to cleaner water

By Steve Hoogenakker, Showcase Landscape.

Many folks are not aware that the rain that runs to our storm sewers does not go to the municipal plant for treatment. It used to, but as growing communities increased pressure on treatment plants, cities nationwide disconnected storm sewers and routed them directly to the nearest lake or stream. In Minnesota, pride in our natural resources is strong, and residents are willing and eager to do their part to protect water quality.

Raingardens are a fabulous way for Homeowners and Townhome Owners to protect water quality. It is a garden or landscaped area with a very slight depression (usually 6-8 inches). A raingarden is designed to capture stormwater from rooftops, driveways and even streets, allowing it to soak into the ground along the deep root channels of beautiful plants (some native and some conventional).

Some of the benefits to CICs include an aesthetically appealing landscape feature, increased bird and butterfly activity, and credit for reduction of stormwater -which some cities are beginning to charge fees for! The list of benefits to the environment is long.

The current system of storm sewer pipes contributes largely to flooding and poor water quality in all water bodies. The water runs off so fast, our natural systems cannot absorb it. Prior to urbanization, stormwater soaked into the ground. Some of it made it all the way down to aquifers and some of it flowed slowly and laterally through the ground to lakes and streams. By the time rainwater reached a surface water, it was scrubbed clean by soil and microbes and cooled to the temperature that fish and other aquatic critters enjoy. Gutters and pipes allow over-heated stormwater to flush all the pollutants that collect on impervious surfaces to water bodies that are not able to treat or absorb the impurities nor are they able to accept the sheer volume – leading to serious flooding. Raingardens begin to repair the natural mechanism that slows, cleans and cools stormwater.

What about all the stormwater ponds that CICs have, aren’t those meant to protect water quality? The quick answer is, yes, they were originally intended as an answer to the Clean water Act mandate that stormwater be treated on site in new construction over five acres. They do keep stormwater and pollutants out of local lakes and streams, unfortunately they merely collect and concentrate those pollutants. They, just like natural ponds, do not have the capacity to treat stormwater. In addition they often become eyesores.

To intercept the stormwater that is piped directly into storm ponds (and would not be served by a buffer), raingardens can be installed in the path of down spouts and near the curb with curb cuts. These curbside raingardens allow water from streets to flow into the garden. They are designed to over flow back into the street if their capacity is exceeded, not into the lawn. All raingardens are designed to be dry within 24-36 hours after a storm to keep mosquitoes from breeding in them. Mosquito larvae need seven to twelve days of standing, stagnant water to mature. Raingardens actually act as ‘traps’ when mosquitoes lay eggs in them and the water drops since they cannot mature! In contrast, raingardens provide vital habitat for many desirable critters like birds and butterflies.

The city of Burnsville recently studied the effectiveness of raingardens. They installed 17 residential raingardens to capture street and roof runoff and measured an 82% reduction in runoff in 2004! They measured a 90% reduction in 2005 and a 93% reduction in 2006- illustrating that as the plants mature (and the root structures create more channels) the infiltration rate increases! The city of Maplewood has actively employed raingardens in city street reconstruction projects for over 10 years! Cities across the country are embracing simple raingardens to address serious stormwater problems including Kansas City, MO (with its 10,000 raingarden program launched in 20060, Portland OR and Chicago IL. The ‘ground work’ has been laid and practitioners have learned how to make raingardens work and look beautiful!

With both raingardens and shoreline plantings, proper plant selection and installation and maintenance are critical to their success. There is a wide pallet of colors and textures that will tolerate the water fluctuations common to these landscapes. Raingardens can be designed to be virtually indistinguishable from conventional gardens and landscapes while performing an important community service! Be sure to consult a contractor that is familiar with native plants and shorelines when pursuing projects like these.

Even if raingardens and ponds are not part of your landscape, a native garden can achieve environmental goals and can be incorporated into any plan. A simple butterfly garden can bring bright bold colors and delightful wildlife to an outdoor living space. They require less water and no fertilizers or weekly mowing and in that way, conserve water and other resources as well as protect water quality!

If your CIC is searching for ways to help the environment, they need not look far. Take a close look at how stormwater is ‘treated’ in your community as ask, ’is there a better way?’.

Steve Hoogenakker is landscape consultant/contractor with 20 years experience working with cic properties and can be reached at 763-213-2410 or Steve@Landscape.Pro. This article can be reprinted as long as all Steve’s contact information is included in the article.

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Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/rain-gardens-an-easy-way-to-save-your-corner-of-the-planet-716184.html

Article Tags:
minnesota, rain garden, clean water, steve hoogenakker, pollution, storm water runoff, showcase landscape, steve landscape pro, going green, delano, mha, cia, cicmidwest, mnla, teri hoogenakker, kirsten hoogenakker, paul hoogenakker, gerrit hoogenakker

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Homemade Greenhouses to Assist Your Garden Production

A tailor-made greenhouse is probably something every gardener or vegetable farmer dreams he had. The genius concept of artificially creating an optimal environment for plant growth is something that has been known to be around since the Roman era. Of course, we may think of greenhouse construction as simply throwing up a frame and stretching some see-through plastic sheeting over it, but there’s more to it than just that.

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If you don’t love customer service, then DON’T do it. If you aren’t in LOVE with the idea of valuing people over nearly all else, then I suggest you hire someone who does.

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I came across this article two weeks ago after hearing about it on KSTP AM Radio. Out of funding, South High School is in danger of injuring students. They want to make the High School experience a positive one, we think the Minnesota Nursery and Landscape Association MNLA along with it’s members can and will help.

Minneapolis South senior defensive end Zeke Shepherd plays on a football field with no lights, no electricity, no rest rooms, no ticket booth, no concession stand and no press box. He is not without shame.

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The indigenous soil and forests of many regions accumulate, sieve, and gradually release fresh, clean water to streams, wetlands, and estuaries. The varieties of life in marine and fresh water, as well as on land, require clean water to thrive.

As human populations intrude and alter natural settings, native forests and soils are replaced with roads, rooftops and other hard surfaces. When it rains or snows, more water flows from these surfaces than undisturbed areas, carrying oil, fertilizers, pesticides, sediment and other pollutants downstream. In fact, much of the pollution in streams, wetlands and rivers now comes from storm-water (water flowing off developed areas). The added volume of water and associated contaminants from developed land are damaging water resources and harming aquatic life.

One possible solution is a type of landscaping called the rain garden-

WHAT IS A RAIN GARDEN?

A rain garden acts like a native forest by collecting, absorbing, and filtering storm-water runoff from roof tops, driveways, patios, and other areas that don’t allow water to soak in. Rain gardens are created as shallow depressions that:

Can be shaped and sized to fit your yard.

Are constructed with soil mixes that allow water to soak in rapidly and support healthy plant growth.

Can be landscaped with a variety of plants to fit the surroundings.

Rain gardens are one of the most versatile and effective tools in a new approach to managing storm-water called low impact development (LID). An LID project may incorporate several tools to soak up rain water, reduce storm-water runoff, and filter pollutants. Some examples of these tools include permeable paving , compost-amended soils, vegetated roofs, rainwater collection systems and rain gardens.

Rain gardens provide multiple benefits, including:

Filter oil and grease from driveways, pesticides and fertilizers from lawns, and other pollutants before they reach the storm drain and eventually streams, wetlands, lakes and marine waters.

Reduce flooding on neighboring property, overflow in sewers, and erosion in streams by absorbing water from impervious surfaces.

Provide habitat for beneficial insects and birds.

Increase the amount of water that soaks into the ground to recharge local groundwater.

Rain gardens are low maintenance, but not NO maintenance. You worked hard to create your rain garden, and to keep it working well for you and looking its best, some regular care is required.

For the first two to three years most plants need deep watering during the dry season to establish healthy root systems. If you have selected the appropriate natives or plants, then the rain garden will need little or no watering after two or three years. However, watering may be necessary during prolonged dry periods even if plants are established. During these periods watch for signs of stress, such as wilting leaves.

Watering techniques for rain gardens include:

Soaker hoses: Soaker hoses save water and can be covered with mulch to save even more.

Sprinklers: Place tuna cans in a few locations around the rain garden and stop watering when there is 1 inch of water in the cans.

Mulch your rain garden. Check the mulch level every year , 2-3 inches of shredded hardwood mulch should be applied in the spring, or if bare areas appear, more often. Mulch keeps the garden moist and spongelike, ready to absorb rain. Mulch areas along the sides and bottom of the rain garden. This prevents a hardpan from developing on the surface of the garden. Mulch protects the plants in the garden as they get established and makes it easier to weed.

Weed regularly. A nicely prepared rain garden is a great place for invasive plants to start growing. This is where mulch comes in handy; it will be simple to just pull those little seedlings out before they get established. Excavate or pull weeds out by the roots before they go to seed.

Exposed soil and erosion

Sediment flowing into the rain garden can clog the soil mix and slow drainage. Sediment carried out of the rain garden can harm streams and wetlands in many ways, some of which include transporting pollutants, covering fish spawning areas , and filling in stream channels and pools. If erosion persists in the rain garden, too much water may be flowing into the garden too rapidly. In this case, the slope of the pipe or swale directing water to the garden or the amount of water may need to be reduced.

Remember, rain gardens can be an integral part of our storm-water management and environmental approach. Their use doesn’t involve a lot of centralized planning. They don’t require much space, can be fitted into oddball shapes, and can readily added to existing buildings. They look nice, and you don’t need to be an engineer to build one. Anyone can make a rain garden — including you!

For delicious landscape and other landscaping ideas visit http://www.better-landscaping.com/Site_Map.html

Landscape and Garden Maintenance From Westville and Pinetown to Kloof , Hillcrest , Assagay , Drummond and Waterfall

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Rain Gardens, an Easy Way to Save Your Corner of the Planet

Save Water and the World With a Rain Garden

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