The Rain Garden at Hemlock Bluffs

Across the courtyard from the steps in front of the classroom building is a lush green vegetative spot where a rain garden has been installed.  A rain garden is designed to route rain water off the roof, through the gutters, into pipes then into a garden which slowly releases the water into the nearby landscape.  In this case, the woods.

 

An educational sign in the garden explains how the rain garden works.

 Designed, constructed and installed by a local Eagle Scout, the rain garden at Hemlock Bluffs collects all the rain water that falls onto the classroom building's roof.  The garden is constructed in such a way that rocks slow the water as it enters the garden and then native plants which typically grow in wet woodlands are planted in the garden to utilize the deposited water.  These native plants can survive in North Carolina's variable weather and rainfall over the years, so they are good choices for a rain garden.

Park Operations Manager, Mark Johns uses the Rain Garden as an example
when he teaches about native plants and wildlife gardening.

Park staff recommended the use of a variety of native plants be placed in the rain garden including; ferns, herbaceous plants, grasses and shrubs. Species diversity is important in the event of disease and pest invasion, and is more attractive to wildlife like birds and butterflies.

Several species of native plants are included in the rain garden to include blooms throughout the growing season.  A few suggested successful rain garden plants are shown below.

Netted Chain Fern

Cardinal Flower

Christmas Fern







Watch the rain garden throughout the year as you visit the nature preserve, it looks different in every season.