Planting your rain Planting your rain gardengarden

Choices, Choices, choiceschoices!!

Low to high densityLow to high density

Groomed to naturalGroomed to natural

Theme gardensTheme gardens● Butterfly gardenButterfly garden● Evergreen Evergreen

gardengarden● Native plantsNative plants● Cool colorsCool colors● Warm colorsWarm colors● Limited only by Limited only by

your imagination!your imagination!

Your rain garden will be…Your rain garden will be…

Very wet sometimes…

Your rain garden will be…Your rain garden will be…

Very dry sometimes…

Native Species!!Native Species!!

● Accustomed to the climateAccustomed to the climate

● Low maintenance!Low maintenance!

● Beautiful selectionsBeautiful selections

Choosing PlantsChoosing Plants

● Tolerant of Tolerant of moisture moisture and and droughtdrought

● Adapted to Adapted to site site conditionsconditions

● Moisture Moisture levels levels within rain within rain garden garden vary vary depending depending on locationon location

River BirchRiver BirchBetula nigraBetula nigra● 50’ x 50’50’ x 50’● Excellent SpecimenExcellent Specimen● Single or multi-Single or multi-

stemmedstemmed● Papery barkPapery bark● ‘‘Heritage’, Heritage’,

‘Duraheat’‘Duraheat’● Grows fast, tolerate Grows fast, tolerate

very wet to average very wet to average conditionsconditions

RedbudRedbud

● Cercis Cercis canadensiscanadensis

● Blooms early Blooms early spring, spring, deciduousdeciduous

● Lives ~ 20 Lives ~ 20 yrs.yrs.

● Sun, well Sun, well drained soildrained soil

● Fuller in sunFuller in sun

RedbudRedbud

‘Forest Pansy’

‘Royal White’

FringetreeFringetree

● ChionanthuChionanthus virginicuss virginicus

● To 20’ x 20’To 20’ x 20’● Sun – lt. Sun – lt.

shadeshade● Moist soilMoist soil● Late season Late season

leaf spotleaf spot● Blue fruit Blue fruit

on female on female trees trees

Shrubs and small treesShrubs and small trees

Red maple

Elderberry

Strawberry bush

Southern Wax MyrtleSouthern Wax MyrtleMyrica ceriferaMyrica cerifera

● 10’-15’ x 10’-15’10’-15’ x 10’-15’● Berries are Berries are

valuable to birds valuable to birds (female plants)(female plants)

● Large screen, Large screen, pruned hedge, pruned hedge,

● Dwarf forms existDwarf forms exist● Often multi-Often multi-

stemmed treestemmed tree● Exceptionally toughExceptionally tough

Sweet PepperbushSweet PepperbushClethra alnifoliaClethra alnifolia

● Native, deciduous shrubNative, deciduous shrub● Sun – part shadeSun – part shade● Well drained or moist Well drained or moist

soilsoil● Cultivars:Cultivars:

● ‘‘Hummingbird’, ‘16 Hummingbird’, ‘16 Candles’Candles’

● dwarf white, 3’ x 6’dwarf white, 3’ x 6’● ‘‘Ruby Spice’Ruby Spice’

● upright pink, 8’ x 5’upright pink, 8’ x 5’

● Blooms in June-July, Blooms in June-July, exceptional fragranceexceptional fragrance

● Yellow fall colorYellow fall color

Sweet PepperbushSweet Pepperbush

‘Sixteen Candles’

‘Ruby Spice’

Virginia SweetspireVirginia SweetspireItea virginicaItea virginica

● Deciduous shrubDeciduous shrub● Sun to part shadeSun to part shade● Wet to dry soilWet to dry soil● Cultivars:Cultivars:

● ‘‘Henry’s Garnet’Henry’s Garnet’● 4’-6’ x 4’-6’4’-6’ x 4’-6’

● ‘‘Little Henry’, ‘Merlot’Little Henry’, ‘Merlot’● dwarf - 3’ x 3’dwarf - 3’ x 3’

● Flowers in June Flowers in June ● Burgundy autumn Burgundy autumn

color holds till Dec.color holds till Dec.● Very moisture tolerantVery moisture tolerant

Virginia SweetspireVirginia Sweetspire

BeautyberryBeautyberryCallicarpa americanaCallicarpa americana

● 6’ x 6’6’ x 6’● Cut back to 1’ Cut back to 1’

every year in every year in Feb/MarchFeb/March

● Bright purple Bright purple berries in berries in autumn - loved autumn - loved by birdsby birds

● Very Fast Very Fast GrowerGrower

BeautyberryBeautyberryCaCallicarpa americanallicarpa americana

AsclepiasAsclepias species species● ButterflyweedButterflyweed

● Asclepias tuberosaAsclepias tuberosa● 2’ – 3’ tall and wide2’ – 3’ tall and wide● Blooms in spring/early Blooms in spring/early

summer, orangesummer, orange● Sun to light shadeSun to light shade● Drought tolerant, good Drought tolerant, good

drainagedrainage● Swamp milkweedSwamp milkweed

● Asclepias incarnataAsclepias incarnata● 3’ tall and wide3’ tall and wide● Spring/early summer Spring/early summer

flowers, pink or whiteflowers, pink or white● Sun to part shadeSun to part shade● Moisture tolerantMoisture tolerant

Monarchs

Orange ConeflowerOrange ConeflowerRudbeckia fulgidaRudbeckia fulgida

● Tough spreading Tough spreading perennialperennial

● Yellow flowers all Yellow flowers all summer, 3’ tallsummer, 3’ tall

● Sun, moist to Sun, moist to average soilaverage soil

● Low mat of semi-Low mat of semi-evergreen foliage evergreen foliage in winterin winter

● Leave seed heads Leave seed heads in winter for birdsin winter for birds

Panic GrassPanic Grass

● Panicum Panicum virgatumvirgatum

● ‘‘Shenandoah’Shenandoah’● 3’ x 2’, burgundy 3’ x 2’, burgundy

● ‘‘Northwind’Northwind’● 4’ x 2’, upright4’ x 2’, upright

● Moist or dry Moist or dry soilssoils

● Sun to light Sun to light shadeshade

‘Shenandoah’

‘Northwind’

Joe Pye WeedJoe Pye Weed

● Eupatorium Eupatorium fistulosum, E. fistulosum, E. dubiumdubium

● Large spreading Large spreading perennialperennial

● Moist soil, sunMoist soil, sun● Rose-mauve flowers Rose-mauve flowers

in late summerin late summer● 6’-8’ in flower6’-8’ in flower● Excellent nectar Excellent nectar

sourcesource

GoldenrodGoldenrod

● Many speciesMany species● Solidago Solidago

rugosarugosa● ‘‘Fireworks’Fireworks’● Late summer Late summer

– fall flowers– fall flowers● Moist to Moist to

average, sunaverage, sun

Rose MallowRose Mallow● Hibiscus Hibiscus

moscheutosmoscheutos● Extremely sturdy, Extremely sturdy,

clumping perennialclumping perennial● 4’-6’ tall and wide4’-6’ tall and wide● Wet to moist soil, Wet to moist soil,

sunsun● Pink or white Pink or white

flowers in summerflowers in summer● Dies back Dies back

completely in wintercompletely in winter

Cardinal FlowerCardinal Flower● Lobelia cardinalisLobelia cardinalis● Sun – pt. shadeSun – pt. shade● Wet to avg. soilWet to avg. soil● Flowers lt. Flowers lt.

summer, fall, 3’-4’ summer, fall, 3’-4’ tall in flowertall in flower

● Short lived soil, Short lived soil, self seedsself seeds

● Do not mulch over Do not mulch over crown in wintercrown in winter

● Hummingbirds, Hummingbirds, butterfliesbutterflies

DiversityDiversity● Great habitatGreat habitat● Reduces pest impactReduces pest impact● Long flowering seasonLong flowering season

Right plants in the right placeRight plants in the right place

Oval Rain GardenOval Rain Garden

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Wetness zonesWetness zones

Dry Average Wet

Redbud Muhly Grass Butterflyweed Orange Coneflower

Fringetree Orange Coneflower Blue Star False Indigo

Washington Hawthorn Possumhaw River BirchSwamp Milkweed Turtlehead River Oats

Laying out your gardenLaying out your garden

Formal grid…

or freestyle…

Good planting techniqueGood planting technique

● Water plants while in the container

● Keep shaded until planting

Good planting techniqueGood planting technique

● Dig a hole at least twice as wide as root ball or container

● Rough up the sides of the hole

Good planting techniqueGood planting technique

● Be kind to roots…

● Gently remove plant from container

Good planting techniqueGood planting technique

● Place root collar level with soil● Backfill loose soil with no air pockets● Tamp down firmly

MulchingMulching Removes pollutionRemoves pollution Retains moistureRetains moisture Prevents erosionPrevents erosion

MulchingMulching● Mulch 2-4 inchesMulch 2-4 inches● Use dense mulchUse dense mulch● Replace periodicallyReplace periodically

Do I need to water?Do I need to water?

● After planting, After planting, yes!yes!

● First season, First season, yes!yes!

● In droughts, In droughts, yes!yes!

● In rain, In rain, no!no!

Show off your rain garden!Show off your rain garden!