Rooftop to River - Rain Garden Contest

You are invited to compete for prizes while making your property attractive and protecting the quality of your local lakes and streams.
Enter Now, Registration is Free.

For details, visit the Rooftop to River - Rain Garden Contest page.

Just in time for spring, Vermont’s own Rain Garden Manual: Gardening to Absorb the Storm and the accompanying plant list are available for free to anyone who is interested in protecting our local rivers and lakes through gardening. This twenty page, full color Manual includes step-by-step instructions on rain garden design and installation; five creative planting plans; information about curb-cut rain gardens (perfect for urban streetscapes); a rain garden plant list (including 150 plants suitable for Vermont rain gardens), and an explanation of how rain gardens are compatible with the Vermont Stormwater Management Manual.

Starting April 1st, pick up a copy of the Manual at Elmore Roots Nursery (800-42-PLANT), Elmore, and Arcana Gardens & Greenhouse (802-899-5123), Jericho. These two local garden centers have demonstrated a commitment to protecting our local waterways by providing financial support and committing to carry rain garden specific plants and supplies.

The manual and plant list can be downloaded for free by clicking on The Manual and The Plant List Insert in the following table.

This work is sponsored in part by: Lake Champlain Sea Grant, NOAA National Sea Grant College Program, US DoC.; The Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, US Department of Agriculture, under Agreement No. 204-51130-03108; Environmental Protection Agency; Chittenden Bank

• Rain gardens for individual houses or buildings are generally between 100 to 400 square feet in size, although they can be much larger if you have a very large impervious area to treat.
  
  
• The exact size of the garden should be determined by calculating the square footage of roof or pavement which will drain to the garden, and making the garden about 30% of this area. Compute how much water will run off from your roof.
  
  
• Rain gardens should be sited in a level to gently sloping area and at least 10 feet from the building’s foundation.
  
  
• If your building has rain gutters, it is usually simplest to site the garden where rainwater from one of the gutter downspouts can easily be directed into the garden.
  
  

• Where clay soils are found, the soil in the garden will likely need to be amended with a mixture of sand, compost & topsoil to improve infiltration.
  
  
• Rainwater can be directed from your downspout to the rain garden with many types of downspout extensions, or even a plastic HDPE pipe buried below the grass.
  
  
• Edging (rocks, cobbles, plastic, etc.) can be used to create a defined look and help keep out weeds & grass.
  
  
• Be aware of underground service lines or utilities! Call you local utility company or Dig Safe before you dig!

     The most important criteria in choosing plants for a rain garden is that they should be able to withstand some brief inundation by water, but also need to be tolerant of drier periods. Native plants are often an excellent choice, since they are extremely well adapted to our climate and are easy to care for. Many attractive native plants can be found at local nurseries and garden centers throughout Vermont; some of these are listed below. Consider using a combination of different types of plant in your garden, including flowering perennials, grasses, sedges, ferns, and small shrubs.