Have water pooling in certain areas of your yard?
Want your landscape to do more than just look beautiful?
A rain garden is a beautiful, eco-friendly way to manage rainwater naturally—while adding color, texture, and life to your landscape.
Simply put, a rain garden is a shallow, planted depression designed to collect and absorb rainwater runoff from roofs, driveways, patios, and lawns. Instead of allowing stormwater to rush into streets and storm drains, a rain garden slows it down, filters it naturally through the soil, and helps it soak back into the ground where it belongs.
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Why Install a Rain Garden?
Rain gardens do more than look good—they work hard for your property and the environment.
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As runoff moves through your rain garden, soil and plant roots help filter out pollutants like fertilizers, oils, and sediment before they reach lakes, rivers, and streams.
Heavy rain can overwhelm storm drains and contribute to local flooding and erosion. Rain gardens help capture and manage that excess water naturally.
Native plants commonly used in rain gardens provide essential habitat and food for bees, butterflies, birds, and other beneficial wildlife.
Rain gardens are designed to be attractive year-round, with colorful blooms, ornamental grasses, and seasonal interest that enhance your landscape.
Once established, rain gardens are surprisingly easy to maintain—and they do a lot of good with very little effort.
Why Install a Rain Garden?
Rain gardens do more than look good—they work hard for your property and the environment.
Â
As runoff moves through your rain garden, soil and plant roots help filter out pollutants like fertilizers, oils, and sediment before they reach lakes, rivers, and streams.
Heavy rain can overwhelm storm drains and contribute to local flooding and erosion. Rain gardens help capture and manage that excess water naturally.
Native plants commonly used in rain gardens provide essential habitat and food for bees, butterflies, birds, and other beneficial wildlife.
Rain gardens are designed to be attractive year-round, with colorful blooms, ornamental grasses, and seasonal interest that enhance your landscape.
Once established, rain gardens are surprisingly easy to maintain—and they do a lot of good with very little effort.
What Does a Rain Garden Look Like?
Not what many people expect.
A rain garden is not a pond or a swamp. Water typically drains within 24–48 hours after a rainfall, so it doesn’t stay wet or attract mosquitoes.
Instead, think of it as a thoughtfully designed planting bed—often filled with native flowers, grasses, and shrubs—placed strategically where water naturally flows.
Is a Rain Garden Right for My Property?
A rain garden may be great if you:
- Have water pooling in certain areas of your yardÂ
- Want to reduce runoff from your roof or driveway
- Love the idea of native plants and pollinator habitat
- Want your landscape to do more than just look good
At The Bruce Company Garden Center, you’ll find a thoughtfully selected assortment of native plants that thrive in rain gardens while providing food and habitat for bees, butterflies, birds, and other pollinators. Our knowledgeable staff can help you choose the right plants for your site conditions and create a rain garden that looks beautiful throughout the seasons.
Rain gardens are especially valuable here in Wisconsin, where heavy spring rains and summer storms can create runoff challenges. By using hardy native plants adapted to our local climate, rain gardens thrive season after season—and help protect our local waterways.
for a step-by-step guide, including a list of native flowers to include.