Landscaping with water

1. Our Rainy Region —
CHALLENGE
Soak It In!
STEVEN J. SAFFIER
TIM MCCABE / USDA-NRCS
The best thing one can do when it’s raining is to let it rain.
HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW
43

2. ater is a vital component of Philadelphia receives an average of
Landscaping
with water will
yield a number
W all ecosystems and most
especially in the wetland
plant communities found throughout our
42 inches of rain each year. The water
from these rains that often runs off of
hard surfaces can be captured, used, and
rich region. In the water-etched hills and persuaded to seep gently into the ground,
valleys of our Piedmont and Coastal just as it does in a forest where it slowly
of outcomes
Plain region, the accumulating of water replenishes groundwater and percolates
benefiting not from the most moderate of storms is into underground aquifers. It may also
magnified by the extent of impervious serve to nurture water-loving plants in a
only the surfaces. The natural water cycle is all low-lying area in the yard; with the use of
but invisible as gutters and grooves carry natural or formed depressions, the stage
homeowner
the torrent of roof runoff and driveway is set for a wonderful rain garden.
but also the drainage to some far away place.
natural
environment in
the yard and
the greater
watershed.
STEVEN J. SAFFIER
Porous pavers reduce runoff from driveways and parking lots.
44 OUR RAINY REGION

3. NOTES
EDIE PARNUM
Ponds can be enhanced by a colorful variety of native plants. Photo by Edie Parnum, Backyards for
Nature, Valley Forge Audubon Society.
Landscaping with water will yield a specialized native plants with unique
number of outcomes benefiting not only adaptations.
the homeowner but also the natural Here are some other benefits of
environment in the yard and the greater landscaping with rain:
watershed. Sunny rain gardens and wet • Conserves water and protects its
meadows can host a colorful variety of quality — Conscientious water
native plants. Vernal or spring pools hold management helps retain supplies of
their water for a few months during spring freshwater and allows quantities to
and early summer and can provide impor- be filtered and slowly replenish
tant breeding grounds for frogs, groundwater supplies. This is
salamanders, and a variety of insects. infinitely more valuable than torrents
Shady wet woodlands can be home to of water entering drainage channels,
OUR RAINY REGION 45

4. TIP
Plants for a rain garden
To calculate how
many gallons of Common name Scientific name
rainwater runs off Perennials
your roof each year,
first figure out your Swamp milkweed Asclepias incarnata
roof’s square footage, New England aster Aster novae-angliae
then multiply that
Turtlehead Chelone species
number by 623. Next,
divide the product by Boneset Eupatorium perfoliatum
1,000, and multiply Joe-pye weed Eupatorium fistulosum
the result by the
number of annual Swamp sunflower Helianthus augustifolius
inches of rainfall in Blue flag iris Iris versicolor
your location. On Cardinal flower Lobelia cardinalis
average, the
Philadelphia region Virginia bluebells Mertensia virginica
receives 42 inches of Allegheny monkey flower Mimulus ringens
rain annually (Source:
Beebalm Monarda didyma
NOAA).
Cutleaf coneflower Rudbeckia laciniata
New York ironweed Vernonia noveboracensis
Trees and Shrubs
Red maple Acer rubrum
Buttonbush Cephalanthus occidentalis
Sweet pepperbush Clethra alnifolia
MAGGIE STRUCKER
Red-osier dogwood Cornus sericea
Winterberry Ilex verticillata
New York ironweed Arrowwood Viburnum dentatum
Witherod viburnum Viburnum cassinoides
Grasses
Lurid sedge Carex lurida
46 OUR RAINY REGION

5. carrying sediment and contaminants to remain and, in many cases, this
towards creeks, streams, and rivers. means a reduction in lawn area. NOTES
• Increases biodiversity — Water adds Once any necessary grading improve-
an essential element to your backyard ments are made and plants are
habitat. Wildlife relies on water for selected and established, the work is
drinking, bathing, and feeding; done. One only needs to sit back, pay
nearby amphibians, dragonflies, homage to the rain and watch the
birds, and other wildlife will be garden grow.
immediately attracted to a backyard • Provides natural fencing — Because
water feature. runoff can be directed to an
• Reduces maintenance time and costs excavated depression anywhere on a
— Going with the flow means property, wet gardens can have a
allowing low-lying areas of collection screening effect and create a natural
border between neighbors.
• Adds visual interest — With the
spent seed heads and dry stalks left
uncut on perennials, visual interest
and wildlife value is stretched from
the multihued days of summer to the
bright white days of winter.
ALL PHOTOS STEVEN J. SAFFIER
A sign at the Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association in Ambler (left) and a young gardener examines a
cardinal flower (right).
OUR RAINY REGION 47

6. My AHA!s AHA!
Water gardens can be created from reduce the demand on municipal water
scratch (such as the addition of a pond) supplies, but also provide chemical-free
or can take advantage of existing depres- water for future yard applications.
sions on properties. Here are some tips:
Monitor mosquitoes: Be conscious of
Make a plan: Before digging in, have a standing water and take measures to
plan in place that allows the implementa- alleviate mosquito breeding. Keep ponds
tion of changes in small, incremental aerated and stock them with mosquito-
steps. Appraise your existing landscape eating fish. By adding water-loving plants
and be clear about your short-term and to low-lying areas, standing water will
long-term goals. A depression that more quickly seep into the ground. Avoid
collects water should be at least 10 feet vernal ponds if your property is not
from any structures. adjacent to habitat from which frogs,
salamanders, and bats will visit and help
Be a good neighbor: Not only might keep mosquito numbers in check.
your new water garden impact a
neighbor’s water flow and view, but it
also may present an opportunity for you
to share your plans and conservation
goals. Perhaps a block-wide plan for
water management and gardening can be
implemented in areas where water flow
affects many.
Evaluate soil, sun, grade: If you’re
using existing depressions, you’re already
familiar with grade and soil type. Combine
this knowledge with sunlight factors and
select the most appropriate plants.
Go native…plants! Plants native to
southeast Pennsylvania wetlands will have
the most wildlife value and growing
success with the least amount of effort.
Re-creating the vertical tiers found
naturally will provide nooks for birds and
other wildlife.
STEVEN J. SAFFIER
Rain, rain…don’t go away: Rain spouts
dedicated to a collection barrel (photo)
or directed to the rain garden not only
48 OUR RAINY REGION

7. MAGGIE STRUCKER
The Dwyers —
Going With The Flow
AMBLER
Ambler
CHAMPION
MAGGIE STRUCKER
49

8. t was an August day when Bill and much like a bowl, catching most of the
This one-and-
a-half-acre site
has been
I Alexa Dwyer bought their home in a
pretty Ambler neighborhood with a
big yard for their children and some
runoff from the neighboring properties.
The first thought was to get heavy equip-
ment in to re-grade it, but the township
great old trees. But when spring rains ordinances presented many challenges for
came, the yard became so saturated their compliance. A friend suggested they
transformed
children could not use it, and entire soggy contact Larry Weaner, a landscape archi-
from a muddy sections could not be mowed for months. tect whose projects were noted for using
It quickly became evident to the native plants and natural habitats, to
mess to a living Dwyers that their property was shaped come up with a possible solution.
world that is
filled with
music and
movement day
and night...
ALL PHOTOS MAGGIE STRUCKER
The Dwyers’ backyard is a vibrant sanctuary.
50 THE DWYERS

9. NOTES
MAGGIE STRUCKER
A serpentine border surrounds a lawn area.
They made a plan to address key and much more. What once was a soggy
issues: yard now feels like an oasis in the
• Solve the water problem. suburban landscape. It provides a
• Be maintenance free. surrounding of water-loving plants, a
palette of the wildflower colors that
• Blend in with natural backdrop of
changes with the seasons, and the sound
woods.
of moving water from a man-made
• Act as a screen for privacy. waterfall.
Visiting the garden today, it is easy to The final design included a small
realize that what has grown from the berm that was constructed along the
original plan has accomplished all of that neighbor’s property line to help channel
THE DWYERS 51

10. water into the natural low spot of the has also become a favorite spot for local
Take a dip Dwyer’s yard, fortifying the wetland. wildlife. “There’s a party out here every
There are contoured sections of day and night,” comments Bill, just as a
in Bill’s
wildflowers mingled with lawn areas bullfrog jumps into the pond. A curious
wetland tips where the children play and a small but often thwarted Great Blue Heron
footbridge to cross the waterway. regularly visits to eye the fish while
• Carefully nurture
The Dwyers have been living with hummingbirds and butterflies compete
first-year plantings
especially in an unusu- this garden now for several years. When for nectar amongst the flowers. This one-
ally dry season. There asked his favorite part, Bill said the and-a-half-acre site has been transformed
was great effort spent garden is “just very peaceful.” He loves from a muddy mess to a living world that
watering the young
the sound of water and watching the is filled with music and movement day
plants.
garden progress through the seasons. It and night, season to season.
• Channel natural
rainwater flow into
dedicated habitat
areas.
• Flag native seedlings
before you mow to
encourage growth; if
conditions allow, reuse
the trees elsewhere in
the yard.
• Create areas of refuge
within a pond to
protect fish from
predators.
• Occasional pruning will
help maintain mature
trees and prevent
damage caused by
dropping branches.
• Use hedgerows of
native shrubs instead
of fencing to screen
MAGGIE STRUCKER
unattractive areas.
A small footbridge provides a link to further exploration.
52 THE DWYERS