Rain Garden Master Class & Tour
Rain gardens are a beautiful landscape feature and a form of green infrastructure design that offer a low cost and nature-based solution to manage stormwater runoff in urban areas. Traditional stormwater infrastructure (pipes and drains) directs stormwater runoff into our rivers and lakes, causing harm to aquatic ecosystems and leading to poor water quality. Rain gardens capture water that runs off of hard surfaces, such as driveways and rooftops, and allows it to infiltrate back into the soil where the deep root systems of native wildflowers can then filter and remove pollutants.
Green Communities Canada has supported individuals, organisations, businesses, and municipalities in adopting and building their own rain gardens since 2016.
Learn More:
TAKE THE RAIN GARDEN MASTER CLASS
This completely online self-directed course will provide you with step-by-step instructions on building and designing your very own residential rain garden.
FIND A CERTIFIED RAIN GARDEN INSTALLER
Find an expert landscaper trained in Rain Garden design using our search tool.
RAIN GARDEN TOUR
Take a virtual tour of rain gardens across Canada. Choose a destination on the map of Canada and see some spectacular rain gardens built by community groups and citizens just like you!
WHAT IS A RAIN GARDEN?
A rain garden is a shallow, bowl-shaped garden (6 -12″ deep) that is planted near a building or paved surface. When it rains, water from downspouts is directed to the rain garden where it slowly soaks into the ground. Rain gardens soak up stormwater, reducing runoff into nearby bodies of water.
Specific plants are selected during the design process to help water infiltrate back into the soil and remove pollutants from the water. For example, some tall prairie grasses can grow roots up to 10 feet long, acting as an exceptional plant for rainwater infiltration in rain gardens!
Fun Facts about Rain Gardens
- Rain gardens work in all types of soil, including clay, sand, and silt
- Rain gardens are able to filter snow during the winter months
- Rain gardens are a great habitat for birds and pollinators, like butterflies and bees!
- Many cities, including Chicago, Seattle, Los Angeles, and Melbourne already encourage their residents to build their own rain gardens. It’s time for Canada to join in on this emerging green infrastructure trend!
Join us in our mission to protect our water and marine ecosystems by soaking up stormwater!