Native Plants

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Friday - March 08, 2013
From: Washington, MO
Region: Midwest
Topic: Rain Gardens, Trees
Title: Rain garden for Washington MO
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
I have a 40' tall bald cypress at the bottom right corner of my sloped yard (slopes from 2 sides, has 3 gutter runoffs directed towards it from 50-70' away). Can I put a series of retaining walls up hill and around tree to act as a rain garden so my lower neighbors don't receive all of my runoff. There is about 8' down slope and 10' to side property lines.ANSWER:
Whoa! We are gardeners, not civil engineers. We can't even visualize a series of retaining walls up a hill. We would probably be more concerned with the effects of the walls on existing or planned vegetation than anything else. But, since we do not have the perfect answer on the tip of our tongues, here is an article Retaining Wall Design: How to Manage Water
Again, not quite knowing what the situation is, we do most heartily agree with the idea of a rain garden to retain and utilize some of the rainwater. If the Taxodium distichum (Bald cypress) is in the area that will be receiving the runoff, it is a perfect choice. Its roots are nearly impervious to suffocation, and you can see from the first picture below that the roots can very happily stand in water.
Since we really hate not being able to answer your specific question, here are a couple of articles that should be more help than we are:
From Grow Green (Austin TX) Earthwise Guide to Rain Gardens
From the University of Wisconsin Extension Rain Gardens A How-To Manual for Gardeners
From the Image Gallery
More Rain Gardens Questions
Managing a wet area in Austin
November 18, 2013 - I suspect that my backyard lies at the very top of a creek watershed. However, all of the water flowing through it gets blocked by a solid stone wall. Whenever we get a significant rain event, part ...
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Plants for a bioswale or rain garden
January 06, 2008 - Dear Mr. Smarty Plants,
What plants do you recommend for a bioswale or rain garden in Austin, Texas?
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Rain garden plants for NC
April 19, 2010 - I have a small creek at the back of our property, it's normally dry except when it rains. Builders removed the natural plants and left it bare. What native plants could I plant in it to bring it bac...
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Rain garden Plants for Colorado
April 22, 2010 - Can you recommend native plants for a rain garden in Colorado Springs
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Rain garden plants for Ketonah, NY
March 30, 2010 - Rain garden plant selections for lower NY state
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