|
1530 Gilmore Valley Rd, Winona, MN 55987
Chuck's rain garden looks wild! It was constructed by a friend with a Bobcat, who was there for driveway work. Clay topsoil is very common in Gilmore Valley, so we replaced six inches of clay with compost, leaf mold, wood chips, and rotten apples. (An occasional apple tree stills appears, as a weed.) All rain which falls on the front of the house and garage is delivered, under the sidewalk, to the rain garden. The first January after construction, it received the inch of rain, which had fallen on the house; it was contained by the frozen ground. This demonstrated that the garden can manage at least an inch of rain per hour. This is a common goal for rain gardens. Chuck planted transplants and scattered seeds. The seeds provide pleasant surprises when a new species succeeds to blossom. His favorite plant, butterfly weed, is present along with cup plant, blazing star, cardinal flower, little bluestem, and many others. The plants which prefer dry sites are present along the dry edges. |