THE WELLIE RAIN GARDEN

Last week I wrote a post on rain gardens and thought it would be fun to use my theme garden design process to add a little more punch to this type of landscape.  I've been thinking about using Wellington rain boots as a theme for months and this was the perfect opportunity.

I followed my theme garden design process to whip up my Wellie Rain Garden Plan:

1. PICK A THEME. Wellington rain boots!

2. BRAINSTORM. These are the words that pop into my head then when I think about rain boots: colorful, fun patterns, rubber, polka dots, red, yellow, rain coat, puddles, umbrellas, storms, wet, showers, wellies, Britain

3. RESEARCH. To find out a little bit more about Wellie rain boots, I dove into the internet.  This is what I found:

• The Wellington boot was invented by the Duke of Wellington, Arthur Wellesley, in the early 1800s in Britain.
• Wellesley was considered one of the greatest defensive commanders of all time.  He beat Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo.
• This time period was also the height of the English landscape style.  This style broke away from the formal gardens of the Renaissance into expansive informal landscapes with large lawns and curving paths.

4. TRANSLATE TO PHYSICAL FORM. After looking at my brainstorming and research lists my plan evolved this way:

• Colors: bright, mostly warm colors that make me think of fun rain boots.  I threw a little bit of purple/blue in there to signify rain, but focused more on the reds, oranges and yellows.
• Shapes: The circles are inspired by umbrellas and polka dots, plus the rectangle and rows of plants symbolize the Duke of Wellington's marching army. Though these are both strong, geometric shapes they are placed informally like the English landscape style (yes, I know I'm stretching it here on the English landscape style, but decided to just focus on the informal/asymmetrical aspect of it).
• Furniture: Of course, I included a bright colored umbrella. Wouldn't it be nice to sit under the umbrella during a spring shower and watch the rain garden do it's magic?
• Plants: All of my plants are recommended for rain gardens in US zone 5.  When designing your own rain garden, just Google rain garden plants for zone # and a myriad of sources will pop up for you. Think about height, textures and colors.  I kept mine to 3' or less.

5. CREATE THE PLAN.  See above.

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WHAT IS A RAIN GARDEN?

A rain garden is a planting area that captures runoff from rain that falls on roofs, driveways or yards. They help create landscapes that are both beautiful and hydrologically functional. These types of landscapes hold and infiltrate water, rather than generating runoff that causes water quality problems and contributes to flooding.

• It is a depression or shallow bowl made in the landscape that is level from side to side and end to end.
• Runoff that travels to your rain garden is temporarily ponded (the water does not stay long).
• The captured runoff in a rain garden allows water to infiltrate into the soil, rather than running into streets and storm drains.
• Relies on soils with good percolation rates (clay, not so good).
• Location is critical. It must be located so runoff goes towards it. Look for low spots, but soils must have good percolation rates. Water should not stand in an area for more than twelve hours.
• Rain gardens should not be located upslope from a house or closer than ten feet from a foundation.
• Native plants are recommended for rain gardens. These will develop deep root systems that generate high organic matter and porosity, plus the right choices can tolerate temporary flooding and extended periods of dry weather. These also don't need fertilizer...in fact, it's important that you do not fertilize.

I've gently borrowed all this wonderful information from the Iowa Rain Garden Design and Installation Manual.  I encourage you to take a peek at this resource for more detailed information on plant choices (for zone 5), soil percolation rates, plus how to install and size a rain garden.

I've also created a Rain Garden Pinterest board to show you more wonderful examples.

For those that would like a print of this rain garden diagram you can purchase a digital version here or a hard copy here.

In my next post I'll show you how to create a rain garden with a fun theme (I can't wait!).

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