Rain gardens make a splash

Let nature water your plants for free thanks to a simple but creative way of harnessing downpours

- BY DAVID DOMONEY

A rain garden is a beautiful way to make rainfall work harder in your garden.

Instead of letting water rush from roofs, paths and drives into drains, it gives that water somewhere useful to go. In early summer, when growth is strong and downpours can arrive suddenly, it’s a timely idea for gardens of all sizes.

A rain garden is a shallow planted dip designed to catch rainwater from hard surfaces. The water should sit there only briefly before draining into the soil, which is different from a pond or bog garden. The plants need to cope with a quick soaking, but also with drier spells once the water has disappeared.