How to Create a Rain Garden

This video shows a series of tips to help you start planning your rain garden.

Video transcript:
How to create a rain garden (description): on left, blue background with white text; on right, rain garden image)
Step 1: determine location (description: on left, blue background with white text; on right, rain garden along curb image)
Best areas are near the house or near the street (description: on left, blue background with white text; on right, rain garden in yard surrounded by rocks)
Step 2: depth & size (description: on left, blue background with white text; on right, rain garden next to garage)
Calculate the slope of the location to figure out the correct depth (description: on left, blue background with white text; on right, image of four people digging a rain garden)
Use location and depth to calculate size (description: on left, blue background with white text; on right, image of four people digging the boulevard and planting a rain garden)
Step 3: building the garden (description: on left, blue background with white text; on right, two women smiling holding up muddy trowels and hands)
As you dig, move dirt to the bottom edge of the garden to act as a berm (description: on left, blue background with white text; on right, image of four people planting a rain garden)
Step 4: design & planting (description: on left, blue background with white text; on right, rain garden and trail in road median)
Use native plants and consider height, time of bloom, and color (description: on left, blue background with white text; on right, flowering native plants)
Have a planting plan and select plants with good roots (description: on left, blue background with white text; on right, flowering native plants)
Water 1-inch per week until plants have started growing (description: on left, blue background with white text; on right, bee pollinating native plant)
Step 5: maintenance (description: on left, blue background with white text; on right, woman walking through native plant garden)
Weed garden until plants are well established (1-2 years) (description: on left, blue background with white text; on right, three people weeding a native plant garden)
In spring, cut back old growth once new growth is 4-6 inches tall (description: on left, blue background with white text; on right, woman holding garden waste in front of compost bin)
Enjoy! (description: on left, blue background with white text; on right, monarch butterfly pollinating a native plant)
Created with work by Blue Thumb, Clean Water MN
Resources: www.minnehahacreek.org/raingardens