Soak Up the Rain: Rain Gardens

A rain garden is a depressed area in the landscape that collects rain water from a roof, driveway or street and allows it to soak into the ground. Planted with grasses and flowering perennials, rain gardens can be a cost effective and beautiful way to reduce runoff from your property. Rain gardens can also help filter out pollutants in runoff and provide food and shelter for butterflies, song birds and other wildlife.

More complex rain gardens with drainage systems and amended soils are often referred to as bioretention.

Note: Refer to the links in this section for important tips on how to locate your rain garden. These include areas to avoid and the need for accurate information about underground utilities before you begin to dig.

Information About Rain Gardens

Bioretention (Rain Gardens), Green Infrastructure, U.S. EPA

Bioretention Illustrated: A Visual Guide for Constructing, Inspecting, Maintaining and Verifying the Bioretention Practice, 2013, Chesapeake Stormwater Network (pdf) (7.8 MB)

Water-Smart Landscape Design Tips, Water Sense
Information about plant selection, soils, and maintenance.

• What To Plant Database for native plants in your area

Woody Shrubs for Stormwater Retention Practices, Cornell University, 2014 (pdf) (33.2 MB)

Rain Garden Outreach and Communication How-to-Guide, Resource Media (pdf) (2.4 MB)

Local resources

• Connecticut
• Maine
• Massachusetts
• New Hampshire
• Rhode Island
• Vermont

Connecticut

Rain Gardens, University of Connecticut
Information on siting and sizing a rain garden, design, installation and long and short term maintenance. Also includes a series of Frequently Asked Questions and a Cost Calculator for estimating the cost to install a residential rain garden.

Rain Garden App, University of Connecticut
This free web-based app helps you build your own rain garden

Connecticut Native Tree and Shrub Availability List, Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (pdf) (256 KB)
A (January 2005) native tree and shrub availability list for locating native planting stock.

Native Plants for Landscape Use in Connecticut, Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation

Resident's Guide to Rain Gardens, Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (pdf) (533 KB)
Introduces rain gardens, including information about what they are, the benefits and some common questions.

Maine

Adding a Rain Garden to Your Landscape, University of Maine Cooperative Extension
Introduces rain gardens and includes instructions and plans on how to plan, design, install and maintain.

Massachusetts

Rain Garden Guide, Massachusetts Watershed Coalition (pdf) (806 KB)
An introductory guide on how to site, design, plant and maintain a rain garden.

Community Guide to Growing Greener, Massachusetts Watershed Coalition (pdf) (2.1 MB)
Includes a listing of shrubs and trees suited for the area.

EPA, YouthBuild, Greenway Conservancy Build a Rain Garden in Boston, April 2012
Earth Day 2012 collaboration in downtown Boston

New Hampshire

How do I build a rain garden?, Soak Up the Rain New Hampshire, New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services
Video documents the installation of a residential rain garden. Explains why we want rain gardens, factors to consider in determining site suitability and plant selection, and many other rain garden basics while demonstrating how to dig and plant a new rain garden.

Rain Garden Do-it-Yourself Fact Sheet, New Hampshire Homeowner's Guide to Stormwater Management, Do-It-Yourself Stormwater Solutions For Your Home, Soak Up the Rain New Hampshire, November 2019 (pdf) (5.1 MB)
Refer to page 32 for the Rain Garden fact sheet for information about rain garden design and siting considerations, installation and maintenance instructions.

A Shoreland Homeowner's Guide to Stormwater Management (pdf) (1.4 MB)
The guide describes practices, including rain gardens, that shoreland homeowners can install to reduce or prevent polluted stormwater runoff from their roofs, patios, lawns and driveways.

SOAK stories about rain gardens around the state, Soak Up the Rain New Hampshire, New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services

Rhode Island

Rain Gardens, Simple Steps at Home, Rhode Island Stormwater Solutions
Includes links to many fact sheets, including rain garden maintenance information for homeowners and professionals.

Bay-Friendly Living, Save the Bay (pdf) (15.1 MB)
Tips on how to make your yard more attractive, cut back on chores and improve the quality of your local waters. Includes information and links on planting a rain garden, selecting native plants (and avoiding invasives), and lawn care.

Rain Gardens and Bioretention around Rhode Island, LID Inventory, Rhode Island Stormwater Solutions

Rhode Island Wild Plant Society
Information about native plants and native plant nurseries

Vermont

Infiltration: Bioretention/Rain Gardens, Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation
Some basics, along with photos and illustrations on design, sizing, placement, and installation.

Absorb the Storm - Create a Rain-friendly Yard and Neighborhood, Lake Champlain Sea Grant, University of Vermont Cooperative Extension (pdf) (2.5 MB)
Discusses a number of steps homeowners can take, including rain gardens, to help prevent the problems associated with runoff.

The Vermont Rain Garden Manual: "Gardening to Absorb the Storm", University of Vermont (pdf) (2.3 MB)
This manual explains how to choose a location for a rain garden, choose plants, install and maintain the garden. Includes plant lists.

Vermont Low Impact Development Guide for Residential and Small Sites, Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (pdf) (4.7 MB)
Discusses the benefits of rain gardens with instructions on siting, designing, and installing rain gardens.