If it were up to me, we’d all have rain gardens in our yards.  Nearly every home in North Jersey has water issues.  Flooding, wet backyards, water in basements and pooling after rainstorms are common issues.  People spend thousands of dollars of sump pumps, French drains and other low yield solutions that only move  water to a different place in their yard never really solving the problem. 

The “Whatever” Yard
We suffer for an affliction I call the “whatever” yard.  Basically, we just let rainwater do whatever it wants, and never engage or direct it to a purposeful end. With a rain garden, you can get your yard creates an incredibly beautiful space that attracts butterflies and birds while solving problems like mosquitoes, and ultimate have a awesomely dry yard for your enjoyment.  AND, you can say good-bye to that whatever yard ;) !

If you have a wet backyard (or front yard), here’s a few things to look for:

1.     Does your yard have a wide variety of plants in it, or only a small selection of plants?  What I see most times is a yard that has mainly lawn with hardscape (like a deck or patio), and a few shrubs and trees.  A healthy rain garden (and yard for that matter) will thrive with 6 to 12 different plants.  The more biologically complex the rain garden, the better it will perform.  The better the performance, the more water it can manage.

2.     Have you activated your yard to move water where you want it to go, or are low and high points just kinda wherever they want to be?  This is a tell tale sign of a “whatever” yard.  You might even have a yard that is pitched toward your house.  You don’t have to grade the entire yard to fix this whatever condition.  Grading can be expensive and doesn’t always work.  You can as easily (and more affordably) remodel your yard to create a more active landscape for water to go where you want it to go.  Hopefully, you will direct it to a rain garden.

3.     Do you make sure the plants in your yard are happy by feeding them organic compost or have you let them survive on their own wit and tenacity for the last 1, 2, 5 or 10 years?  Healthy soil and plants will soak up water better than low-quality yards.  The Yard Detox Challenge is geared to getting you out of bad habits and giving you a happy yard.

The Rain Garden
The construction of a rain garden is pretty straightforward.  Dig a hole about 12 to 24 inches deep.  It should be a minimum of 6 to 8 ft long and 4 to 5 ft wide (but they can be smaller or bigger).  You will want to put a geotextile into the bottom and along the sides.  Fill the fabric with gravel, and then wrap the geotextile around the top of the gravel.  The gravel depth should be half to 3/4s of the depth of the hole.  Pin the fabric and then add a layer of soil on top of the wrapped gravel.  You want to soil to be a minimum of 6 inches deep, though I prefer a thicker growing medium.  After that, plant the new bed.  You should make sure that water is directed to the rain garden.  Pick plants that can both manage wet soil and the amount of sunlight the rain garden will get.  Steer clear of Skip Laurels for a rain garden. 

There are a bunch of resources to help you tackle the construction of a rain garden by yourself. 

I like to design rain gardens to fit the character of a house and amplify how a family uses the yard.  I have some favorite rain garden plants like Rose Mallow that I use whenever I can.  If you build it correctly, water will flow into the rain garden and not flood your property.  In extreme situations, a rain garden might not be enough to stop the flooding.  So, if you’re not sure how to characterize your situation, talk to a professional. 

There are other things you can do to help stop an annoying wet yard.  But for now, consider a rain garden as an incredible and beautiful option.

A great native flower is Bee Balm.  They come in an array of colors, though I like the purple ones the best. They can take the cold winters in New Jersey as well as the hot summers.  With the right care, they will grow to 18inches high and spread about 2ft.  They are also fairly low maintenance except make sure they avoid powdery mildew issues.  

You can get them to bloom multiple times during a season.  Deer don’t typically eat them in warm months.  However, as the nights get cooler, they are on the menu.  

They like full sun, but can tolerate shade.  They are excellent for the edges of rain gardens.  Bee Balm attracts butterfly, bees or hummingbird.  Couple them with Blazing Stars, and you could have a symphony of beautiful animals to watch.  

Mosquitoes are a common problem in my area, and clients always want to know how to get rid of them. Bee Balm is one part of the solution because they repel mosquitos.  I love designing yards that use different types of mosquito-repelling plants (like lavender and basil) with Bee Balm.  It adds ton of color to the yard.  Plus, when the basil is good for the picking, you can make fresh pesto from it.  Then you can enjoy it on your deck or patio without being eaten alive.  

Mosquitoes thrive in soggy lawns that are treated with artificial fertilizers.  The Yard Detox Challenge is another part of eliminating mosquitoes.  Organic compost doesn’t have the same mosquito-inducing characteristics as toxic fertilizers.  Healthy soils and native plants lead to complex ecosystems that make mosquitoes compete for space.  So, plant some Bee Balm this year and get on the road to zero mosquitoes!  Start managing your soggy lawn with a rain gardens too.  Before you know it, the only things that will be flying around your yard will be butterflies, honeybees and hummingbirds! 

This week, I’m showcasing the flower Liatris picata, aka Blazing Star or Gayfeather.  It is a native flower to the Eastern United States and blooms beautiful purple.  The flower is extremely versatile by being an ideal plant for a rain garden as well as creating habitat for birds, bees and butterflies.  It is low maintenance, can tolerate drought and clay soil.  Most important for northern New Jersey; it is deer resistant.   

photo by Gardenology.org 

The Blazing Star can grow as high as 4 feet, and sometimes taller – but I most cases, you’ll have a 24 to 36 inch flower.  It does take some time for the plant to establish itself, so starting from seed can take a season or so to see results.  If you use a potted Blazing Star, you are most likely to get incredible color in the first year.  

The bloom time is from July to August, and sometimes into early September. 

You can plant the flower in full sun or where it will get some shade.  If you use it within a rain garden, there’s a good chance you’ll never have to water it.  

Yearly maintenance such as composting the soil and weeding is typically needed to keep a big patch healthy and happy.  It’s a great addition to add curb appeal and be nicer to the environment.

In a few weeks, our community will begin waving little white and yellow flags around the edge of lawns everywhere.  These little flags let you know that toxic fertilizers and pesticides have been sprayed and poured on the yard…all in the name of “nice” grass. 

It’s a tradition all across the country.  More than 3 million tons of fertilizers are dumped onto yards in the US every year.  Another 30,000 tons of pesticides are put on yards each year.  All of these chemicals put pets, kids, the environment and water cleanliness at risk.   

Don’t surrender your yard to the white lawn flag. 

Instead, take the YARD DETOX Challenge, and give your lawn the spa treatment with natural, organic compost.  Compost can feed your grass better than fertilizers, and over several seasons make your lawn more healthy, drought tolerant and beautiful. 

Instead of using pesticides to manage pests, add native flower and plants to protect the look and quality of your yard.  

It’s never easy to get started.  So to help you, we’ve developed YARD DETOX kits to get you on the road to sustainability.  A description of each kit is available on our online store.

Your yard may be small, but it has a big influence.  Anything you put on your lawn like fertilizers and pesticides will go beyond your property line.  Sustainability is always talking about issues like climate change or natural resources, and they seem too global to do anything to make them better.  However, with sustainable yard care you can make a difference. 

The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conducted a nationwide study and found pesticides in 100% of the people who had both blood and urine tested. The average person carried 13 of 23 pesticides tested. 

Putting chemicals on our yards is a bad habit, and it makes everyone else less healthy.  You may get lush green grass, but there are huge negative impacts.  Plus, you can have an amazing yard without toxic substances. 

This year, I want to get as many people as possible to go chemical-free in the Detox Yard Challenge.  Instead of fertilizers, you can use compost.  Instead of weed killers and herbicides, you can use weed mats and mulch.  Instead of pesticides, you can use more sustainable, non-toxic options. 

We think about our yards as the limit to our property, but our lawns have a much greater reach of influence.  Take the Detox Yard Challenge, and make your neighborhood just a little more healthy for everyone.  

This spring take the YARD DETOX Challenge and join a growing number of homeowners that are taking their yards back!  

What’s the YARD DETOX Challenge?  It’s a challenge to get as many residents in our community to say NO to artificial fertilizers, pesticides and other harmful chemicals. For too long, we’ve used toxic chemicals that are harmful to children, pets and the environment to maintain our yards.  But we don’t have to use them.  Organic compost is a wonderful alternative to those dangerous poisons we call yard care. You can DIY your yard to include compost or you can use a sustainable landscaping company to do it for you.

Your yard is like a sponge.  The soil will store fertilizers, pesticides and other toxins.

If your kids or pets put grass, dirt or even toys that have been outside in their mouths, they can ingest these poisons.  If you don’t wash their hands after being in your yard, you can ingest them too. Leaf blowers and raking disturb the toxins on your lawn and they can find their way into your house. But detoxing your yard means you eliminate the risk and make your outdoor spaces safer and healthier.

How do you do it?  First, select the best compost for your yard type.  Second, cut your grass.  Right after you cut your grass, spread the compost across your yard until it’s about 1/4inch thick.  If it hasn’t rained in a few days, you’ll need to water the new compost for about 15 to 20 minutes.  Don’t cut your grass for, at least, 1 to 2 weeks after you apply the compost.  That’s it!  You should do it once in late spring and once in early fall every year for the best results.  If you really want to super charge the detox, have your yard aerated to get the compost deeper into the soil along with better airflow. 

What are the benefits?  First and foremost, you’re not going to have toxic chemicals surrounding your house.  That means, safer play areas for kids and pets.  You’ll also have a more beautiful, natural lawn that can withstand dry and hot periods without brown spots.  Your new, healthy yard will encouraging biodiversity and make waterways cleaner.  You bit even see more butterflies and birds visiting your property.

When you join the YARD DETOX, you’ll be part of a community-wide effort for healthy and sustainable yards that are good for you, your family and the environment.  We will be posting success stories and photos of how different yards go through the process.  For more info, email or call me.  Contact info is on the Contact Page of this website. 

HAPPY DETOXING!!!