A Rain garden is
a shallow, bowl-shaped bed (6 -12″ deep), planted near a building or paved surface. When it rains, water from downspouts is directed to the rain garden where it soaks into the ground over the following day or two and replenishes our precious drinking water aquifers.

Rain gardens soak up stormwater before it becomes a problem. Typically rain in urban areas runs off across paved surfaces, picking up pollutants like pet waste, fertilizer, cigarette butts, fuels and solvents and deposits them, untreated into the nearest lake or stream via the storm sewer. The result is often closed beaches, endangered aquatic life and compromised drinking source waters.

Raingardentour.ca
is an online gallery of beautiful rain gardens from across the province, country and hopefully, the world. By displaying images of rain gardens we hope to inspire viewers to do the same – build a rain garden and start soaking up stormwater and protecting our water!

Raingardentour.ca is a project of Green Communities Canada. For more information about Green Communities’ initiatives that are taking action to protect streams and rivers, visit www.slowrain.ca