Home Repair Services
The Terata Rain Garden
1100 South Division Avenue
Grand Rapids, Michigan 49507
Home Repair Services is a private non-profit organization that has been providing a variety of services and classes to thousands of lower and middle income homeowners since 1979.
The Problem
Their property, at 1100 South Division, attempts to absorb the stormwater from their roof and parking lot into grassy green spaces before overflowing into storm drains. Although well intentioned, these grassy green spaces are unable to hold the amount of stormwater directed to them. It takes several days for the rain to absorb into the ground. This caused the water to build up outside the grassy areas and linger in the parking lot, consuming several parking spaces.
In addition to helping with their storm water problems, the site also serves as a demonstration site for those homeowners who use the services they provide. The rain garden in this high traffic area will service as an example of landscaping for those who wish to solve stormwater problems at their own homes. They will be able to see the difference between turf grass and perennials for absorbing water. Reoccurring wet and hard to maintain yards can become beautiful perennial gardens instead of muddy messes. This highly visible site gives people a chance to witness this stormwater solution in action and become familiar with some beautiful native plants.
The employees are not kept in the dark either, as several employees attended a presentation session about rain gardens, so that they may know what the garden does and be able to answer some common questions visitors may ask. Also rain garden brochures in both English and Spanish will be available at the building for distribution.
The Rain Garden
There are three areas of concern in the Home Repair Services parking lot, and in the late summer of 2005 a rain garden was installed near the main entrance to the parking lot to help solve one of the drainage areas mentioned earlier. First, eight of the sixteen Calvin College StreetFest volunteer team members removed the turf grass. Other students under the guidance of Home Repair Services employee Melanie Grooter removed some of the existing vegetation and divided the plants, some for reuse in the rain garden, the rest for Home Repair Services to give to their members.
Then students prepared the soil by double digging by hand and by using the Rain Gardens of West Michigan’s Mantis Tiller/Cultivator. At the same time, other students spread some mulch over the already tilled areas.
With the end of their day approaching quickly, the Streetfest team quickly studied the rain garden design and got to work. In about twenty minutes, they laid out and planted many of the plants. Only a few areas were left to be finished by Rain Gardens of West Michigan as the students left to catch the Rapid back to school.
The Plants
The planting of the Terata Rain Garden was completed by the Calvin College StreetFest leaders and Rachel Hackett of Rain Gardens of West Michigan. The design for the garden was created by RiverMaid Designs and contains native and a few non-native plants. Most of the plants bloom in a rainbow of colors between June and August, surrounding the native big bluestem grass (Andropogon gerardii) that can reach eight feet tall in the center of the garden. Adding a more formal look to the garden are two kinds of irises and several different types of daylilies near the edges. Other highlights of the garden include the native plants hummingbirds love: Great blue lobelias (Lobelia siphilitica), and cardinal flowers (Lobelia cardinalis); and other natives to attract and feed butterflies: Joe-Pye weed (Eupatorium purpureum), swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnate), tall ironweed (Vernonia altissima), and smooth aster (Aster laevis).
Six clumps of the existing ornamental grass Pennisetum alopecuroides or Australian fountain grass was left in the rain garden for the time being to link the rain garden to the other landscaping. They were also very difficult and time consuming remove at that time. Some species and cultivars of fountain grasses (Pennisetum spp.) have shown to be invasive by self-seeding in the warmer, southern United, but have not yet caused a problem in Michigan. The shorter growing season in Michigan has kept Pennnisetum from causing a problem in most places. The cultivar of Pennisetum alopecuroides used at Home Repair Services has not caused any problems on-site, and was to be removed for aesthetic reasons.
Lessons Learned
When choosing between several rain garden sites, don’t forget about visibility and lawn maintenance. Originally the rain garden at Home Repair Services that was going to be installed in 2005 was to be next to the eastern entrance to the parking lot. This area was not as visible to visitors as the other two possible sites on either side of the main parking entrance. It is important to show off your rain garden to get other people excited about storm water management.
After discussing the possible sites with Herm Witte from Witte Lawn Maintenance, it was discovered that the site to the east of the main parking lot entrance was a lot more trouble to maintain than the original site because of the existing landscaping. The site was much steeper and had odd angles because of the existing landscaping forced Witte Landscaping to use other, smaller, more time consuming equipment to cut the lawn in that area. After much discussion, it was decided to move the site to east of the main entrance to reduce lawn maintenance difficulties and increase visibility.
Removing existing vegetation is arduous and time consuming. Whenever possible, work existing vegetation and landscaping into your rain garden design. Tall ornamental grasses are especially hard to remove because of their tight fibrous root systems. If you decide to plant an ornamental grass, be sure that you like it and divide it regularly.
This rain garden project and web page by Rachel Hackett.