Rain Garden vs Dry Creek Bed
Rain garden or dry creek bed? One soaks water in at a spot, the other carries it across the yard. How each works and how to choose.
Category
Rain Gardens & Stormwater
Not all water has to be piped off the property. This section covers rain gardens, vegetated swales and stormwater-friendly landscaping that slow, spread and soak in runoff — an approach that can complement drainage while easing pressure on the yard and public systems.
Guides · Page 3 of 3
Rain Gardens & Stormwater articles
Best Plants for a Rain Garden
How to choose the best plants for a rain garden by category — flood-tolerant natives for the wet center, adaptable species for the dry edges — instead of copying a species list from another region.
Rain Garden Winter Care
What a rain garden needs in winter — clearing the inlet and overflow before freeze-up, leaving stems standing, and keeping de-icing salt out of the basin. A season of protection, not tending.
How to Build a Rain Garden Step by Step
A numbered, step-by-step guide to building a rain garden, from calling for utility locates and running a perc test through digging, amending, planting in zones, and setting an overflow.
Rain Garden vs Bioswale
Rain garden vs bioswale explained — catch-and-soak versus convey-and-soak, a side-by-side comparison table, where each fits, and how to decide (or use both).
How Big Should a Rain Garden Be?
How big a rain garden should be, and what actually sets the size — drainage area, soil infiltration, and basin depth — plus a factors table and common sizing mistakes.
Where to Place a Rain Garden
Where to place a rain garden and where not to — setbacks from the foundation and septic, working with slope and sun, avoiding tree roots and utilities, plus common siting mistakes.
Do Rain Gardens Attract Mosquitoes?
Whether rain gardens attract mosquitoes, why a well-drained one should not, and how to fix a garden that holds water too long — the real cause of mosquito worries.