Q: My Girl Scout troop would like to plant a rain garden at the school where we meet every week. The girls are 12 years old. I was hoping to get some advice regarding the type of native Florida wildflowers and ground covers they should use and whether there needs to be a border.
A: We have a booklet at the Extension office titled “Rain Gardens, A Manual for Central Florida Residents,” by Marina D’Abreau that is free if you just drop by to pick up a copy. In the back of this booklet is a list of rain garden plants with plant facts and photos. We also have a brochure on how to create a bog/rain garden and one on carnivorous plants.
Online, you can check out the University of Florida publication “Landscape Elements for a Florida-Friendly Yard” by Gail Hansen at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep424. There is a link under the section titled “Capture stormwater with a rain garden” that will take you to a 28-page article on “How To Create a Rain Garden,” with instructions and plant selections.
Regarding the border, I would say yes, you need one, and medium to large rocks work well. Are you planning on installing a heavy-duty pond liner in the bottom? Do you have a rainwater source nearby, like a downspout, cistern or rain barrel?
We have a rain garden in the courtyard of our office in Seffner. Please stop by to see it and decide if that is what you are thinking of creating.
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