雨水花园
每次下雨, excess water travels through the landscape as run-off, 收集油污等污染物, 油脂, sediment and excess nutrients 哪一个 then enter waterways unfiltered, 危害水生生物. 然而, these effects can be mitigated through rain gardens, vegetated areas that capture rainwater and allow it to soak into the soil – all while providing habitat for native species, reducing the time needed for lawn maintenance and adding beauty to the landscape.
Rain gardens are most effective when gutters and other downspouts are disconnected from storm water sewers and are instead, through downhill slopes or the use of pipes, 改为雨水花园, 哪一个, 压抑在地下, trap that storm water before it has a chance to leave the lawn. Water then infiltrates slowly into the porous soil with the help of deep-rooted plants, 哪一个, 反过来, help to filter pollutants and other substances, allowing cleaner water to enter the groundwater table. By using native plants in rain gardens, the garden simultaneously functions to attract pollinators like bees and butterflies, with the added benefits that these plants are more tolerant of drought and flood conditions and require less maintenance, 浇水, 化肥和农药的newbb电子, adapted as they are to the climate and soil of the region.
The Energy and Environment team at newbb电子平台’s 沃伊诺维奇学校 of Leadership and Public Service has constructed two rain gardens on the grounds of The Ridges to improve the environment and motivate environmental stewardship in the 雅典 and newbb电子平台 communities. Rain gardens are easy for just about anyone to construct and install – just follow these ten simple steps:
- 制定预算. Consider whether your installation will involve partners, such as a property owner and/or funding organizations, 或承包商, 比如建筑工人.
- Determine where you will place your rain garden. Consider the location of downspouts 和 natural slope of the landscape, ensuring that there are no obstructions to water flow, and check potential sites for any underground utilities that may prevent the installation of a rain garden in that area.
- Because different soils absorb water differently, examine the soil to determine what size your rain garden will need to be. 通过挖掘土壤样本, you can visually identify the type of soil (sand, 淤泥, loam or clay) 和n easily look up the drainage rate of that soil type. 另外, the Central Ohio Rain Garden Initiative recommends a 24-hour soil infiltration test in 哪一个 a 12-inch soil pit is dug and filled with water to determine how well the soil absorbs water. 参观ir website, listed below, 了解更多信息 about this simple method and consult 这个雨花园大小的计算器 to help ensure that your rain garden is sized appropriately for the intended drainage area.
- Solicit friends or volunteers to help construct your rain garden.
- Outline the desired shape of the garden using flags, marking spray or other non-toxic materials.
- Remove the top layer of sod and dig to the calculated depth.
- Till the top layer of remaining soil after digging to improve soil drainage, and mix about two inches of compost into this soil layer to improve plant growth.
- 开始种植! 咨询 这张推荐的植物清单 created by the Central Ohio Rain Garden Initiative.
- Add mulch, rock framing, educational signage or other aesthetics to your liking.
- Disconnect your downspouts from the storm drain system and divert those flows to the rain garden, 使用天然斜坡或管道. Some systems also include overflow pipes, but properly sized rain gardens generally do not need this consideration.
参观 Central Ohio Rain Garden Initiative website 和 俄亥俄河基金会网站 了解更多信息.
This webpage was financed in part through a grant to the Appalachian Ohio Clean Watershed Initiative from the State of 俄亥俄州环境保护局 和 United States 环境保护署, under the provisions of Section 319(h) of the Clean Water Act.
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