Help Reduce Pollution: Create a Rain Garden

Plant a Rain Garden to Help Reduce Water Pollution

An easy - and attractive - way to reduce water pollution is to plant a rain garden. No, a rain garden doesn't "grow" rain but it does help to filter out pollutants before they enter our harbors.

Rain running off of roofs and roads is the number one source of pollution in our waterways. A rain garden filters stormwater before it enters storm drains and flows into our harbors and ocean. Planting a rain garden is a great way to nurture native plants and to sustain the local ecosystem. Rain gardens promote infiltration of stormwater into the ground, recharging the groundwater for future use.

A rain garden is a selection of plants growing in a shallow depression. It is designed to temporarily hold and soak up rain water that flows off of roofs, driveways, patios or lawns. Creating a rain garden is a simple, cost-effective tool for homeowners to beautify their property while at the same time reducing pollutants entering our waterways.

Greenscapes, a collaborative of municipalities and partner organizations focusing on stormwater and watershed-related issues, has published a brochure with instructions on how to create a rain garden. It includes a list of plants native to New England that could thrive in a rain garden. Read through Greenscapes' Rain Garden brochure and plant your own rain garden.