Once again, it’s been a long, cold winter, but spring is approaching and thoughts are turning to gardening. If you are planning some new landscaping around the house this year, you may want to consider a rain garden, which can be an attractive feature that also helps manage storm water runoff.

Rain gardens look like any other flower garden, but they are built in a shallow depression that is designed to collect rain water and slowly filter it into the ground over a period of a day or two. A typical rain garden planted with native wildflowers, shrubs or trees can soak up to 30% more water than a conventional lawn. Rain gardens also help to remove pollutants in storm water that are picked up from our lawns, rooftops, driveways and parking lots. In addition to the water quality benefits, rain gardens providing important habitat and food sources for birds, butterflies, and other wildlife.

Anyone can build a rain garden on their own. Creating one requires nothing more high tech than a shovel. To aid landowners in their quest to build their own garden, we have collaborated with local organizations to create the Greater Cincinnati Master Rain Gardener Course. The first session is already full, but you can add your name to the waitlist for future classes at www.cincyraingardener.org or join the Facebook group Greater Cincinnati Master Rain Gardeners for great ideas from fellow gardeners. Plenty of tips are also available on our web site at www.clermontswcd.org/rain-gardens-barrels/. And if you run in to problems – don’t give up. Just give us a call or shoot us an email and we’ll help you through it.