A rain garden is a landscaped area planted with native plants and flowers that soaks up rainwater. The garden fills with a few inches of rain water that come off of the roof of a house or building during a storm. After the storm, the water slowly soaks into the ground instead of running off the land into a storm sewer or waterway. Compared with a grassed lawn area, a rain garden may allow 30% more water to be absorbed. Native plants are suggested for use in the rain garden because of their deep roots, water uptake and their ability to tolerate conditions ranging form wet to dry and hot to freezing.

As part of the rain garden program, Fort Wayne has developed a reference manual that explains how to plan, plant and maintain a rain garden in northeastern Indiana. The manual is the basis for Fort Wayne's rain garden workshops. You can read the manual on line or you may request a copy on CD by calling 427-1381 or e-mailing  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .