As the weather gets warmer, many people want to get outside and tackle backyard DIY projects. And striking urban landscape designs that conserve water and attract wildlife are attracting the attention of quite a few people.
A popular video on the r/NativePlantGardening subreddit shows a bioswale in the front yard that connects to a rain garden where native plants filter and absorb water.
A Reddit user shows viewers how he created a narrow linear compaction near the side of a client's home to capture rainwater runoff. It leads to a rain garden with a small pond in the middle of the garden. And as the landscape architect wrote in the caption, “Frogs love it.”
So how do these types of natural gardens benefit the environment? Simply put, water is filtered through soil, plants, and river gravel, naturally removing pollutants and keeping toxins out of waterways. prevent it from reaching.
At the same time, the system captures and reuses rainfall to hydrate surrounding native plants and grasses. This allows homeowners to conserve water and reduce the cost of their water bills while benefiting the ecosystem.
Rain gardens are considered a type of low-maintenance lawn alternative and attract pollinators such as bees, birds, and butterflies. Pollinators are the foundation of our food system by cross-pollinating plants, so choosing native landscapes is a great way to help restore their habitat.
Your choice of native plants will depend on your region. Generally, moisture-tolerant plants that can tolerate dry periods grow best in rain gardens. For example, if you live in the Pacific Northwest, yarrow, coastal strawberry, and tufted hairgrass are known to thrive.
As more homeowners consider eco-friendly landscaping, it is highly recommended that gardens be rewilded by replacing them with lawns to restore balance to the land where native plants, animals and insects can thrive. .
In the comments section of the Reddit video, people expressed how they were considering their own sustainable landscaping methods. One viewer praised the rain garden, writing: “Very impressed they've managed to pull this off in one year!”
Another commenter gave viewers an insight into how the system works, saying: “The idea is to slow and filter the water, recharge the groundwater, and avoid increasing stormwater flowing directly into drains and local watersheds.”
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