Stained Glass Window Rain Garden

Grand Rapids Community College

Fountain Street NE at Library Plaza NE

Grand Rapids, Michigan

This rain garden helps protect the Grand River. It is located near the intersection of Fountain Street and Library Plaza in Downtown Grand Rapids. Look for the tall red-orange sculpture; the rain garden is behind the nearby bench.

This is the oldest of three rain gardens on the Grand Rapids Community College campus in downtown Grand Rapids. Planted in 2003 by the Service Learning Center Advisory Board (SLAB), the garden was designed to repeat the vibrant colors of the windows in Fountain Street Church (across the street), and harmonize with the brightly colored sculpture  next to the garden.

The rain garden is constructed around a lawn storm drain, in a planting island at the lower end of the pedestrian mall. To prepare the site, we dug and loosened soil to a depth of eighteen inches, carefully preserving tree roots. We then created a reservoir space around the drain, leaving the drain entry about six inches above the lowest level of the soil. Water has a chance to soak in before entering the drain, instead of flowing directly to the storm sewer as originally designed.

The deep roots of the native prairie plants create channels into the soil, making it more absorbant.

The site is planted with Blue False Indigo (Baptisia australis), New England Aster cultivar "Alma Potschke" (Aster novae-angliae 'Alma Potschke'), Stella Del Oro daylilies, Blazing star (Liatris spikata),  Culver's root (Veronocastrum virginicum), Queen of the Prairie (Filipendula rubra), and red "flower-carpet" roses. It is most beautiful during July, August and September.

Lessons learned:

Educate everyone

It is important to include education and information for everyone who will eventually be involved in maintaining a rain garden, including the grounds staff. Otherwise the purpose and function of the rain garden is not clearly understood, and changes may be made that could cause the garden to fail. Some of the changes could be the wrong kind of mulch, the filling in of the reservoir, or removal of plants. A sign explaining the purpose of the rain garden would be helpful.

Manage paths and foot traffic

If there is regular foot traffic through your rain garden, either put a rain garden sign there that blocks walkers, or simply install stepping stones. This will prevent soil compaction.

One rain garden leads to another

People who create rain gardens really enjoy the process, love their gardens, and often are inspired to make more. Our project partners liked this rain garden so much, they have gone on to install two more on the Community College campus, and another at an elementary school. That is four rain gardens created by GRCC!

The rain garden was designed by RiverMaid design, and is owned and maintained by GRCC Service Learning Center. The GRCC grounds staff were extremely helpful in creating this rain garden. The GRCC students were fantasic!