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Downspout Gardening

August 9, 2019

I was sitting in the doctor’s office the other day reading a magazine when I came across an article entitled “Downspout Gardening.” Huh! A new name for rain gardening? Well, sort of. It was an article about a flower garden placed around a downspout, using primarily non-native plants. There was no place in this garden to capture and hold the water from running off.

The article described how to make a flower garden which would be watered from the downspout when it rained. So what about when it doesn’t rain? How are the plants going to survive from day to day? Soil placed around the foundation of the house is typically sloped down and away, so water will run away from the foundation. Plants placed near the house will also need to be able to absorb the reflection of the sun and heat from the siding.  And lastly, plants under overhangs may not get sufficient water even when it rains simply because water doesn’t generally run up a slope.

So, I think I would rewrite the article to include all native species instead, choosing forbs and grasses which can tolerate the conditions described above. Further, I’d rewrite the article to include a rain garden to prevent runoff which will still occur with the Downspout Garden as described.

My friend Mandy bordered her rain garden with stones against the no mow grass which makes up her lawn, and added an ornamental dragonfly for just the right touch.
Bergamot is already going to seed this summer, while many other things are taller than usual because of all the rain. Note the Wild Petunia at the edge of the planting.

Building a Rain Garden

I haven’t talked about rain gardens for awhile, so I thought this was a good time for me to reiterate the importance of controlling runoff — especially because of the hard rains we’ve been having lately.

If you’re going to build a rain garden, be sure to locate it at least ten feet from the foundation of  your house. Because your rain garden basin will likely hold water for several days, you don’t want to create an opportunity for seepage into your basement.  See Rain Gardens – a How to manual for homeowners. This book also has some nice designs for your use.

For the basin itself, I’d recommend any of these sun-loving species. Placement would be by size according to the line of sight desired:

Bergamot
Blue Flag Iris
Blue Vervain
Boneset
Bottle Gentian
Cardinal Flower
Culver’s Root
Crooked Stem Aster
Dense Blazingstar
Golden Alexander
Great Blue Lobelia
Ironweed*
Marsh Phlox
Meadow Blazingstar
Mountain Mint
Ohio Goldenrod
Prairie Blazingstar
Queen of the Prairie
Red Milkweed
Riddell’s Goldenrod
Smooth Penstemon
Sweet Black Eyed Susan*
White Turtlehead
Fox Sedge
Indiangrass
Palm Sedge

And around the outside of the Downspout Garden, I’d use any of these sun-loving native plants. Placement again would be by size according to the line of sight desired:

Black-Eyed Susan
Blue False Indigo*
Brown-Eyed Susan
Butterflyweed
Common Milkweed
Cream False Indigo*
Heath Aster
Hoary Vervain
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Lavendar Hyssop
Leadplant
New England Aster
Nodding Pink Onion
Ohio Spiderwort
Pale Purple Coneflower
Prairie Smoke
Purple Coneflower
Rattlesnake Master*
Rough Blazingstar
Royal Catchfly
Smooth Aster
Stiff Goldenrod
Sweet Black Eyed Susan*
White False Indigo*
Wild Columbine
Wild Geranium
Wild Petunia
Wild Quinine
Yellow Coneflower
Big Bluestem
Junegrass
Little Bluestem
Prairie Dropseed
Sideoats Grama

Links to species info provided by Prairie Nursery and Prairie Moon Nursery.

*Because of their size, consider using these plants as a specimen or showcase plant. Use only one as an attention-getter (unless you are building a very large garden space).

The Article

I wasn’t able to find the actual article I read on the Internet, but I did find a similar article from Better Homes and Gardens. Go to Downspout Gardening.

   Send article as PDF   

Comments

  1. Mandy Ploch says

    August 10, 2019 at 8:07 am

    While originally planted to my plan in 2005, I’ve enjoyed the changes over the years that nature has given me. Embrace the change. “Gardening is the slowest of the performing arts.”

    Reply
    • Donna VanBuecken says

      August 10, 2019 at 9:48 am

      Good morning, Mandy. I never thought of the garden being a “performing art,” but it certainly seems appropriate. Thanks for the new description.

      Reply
  2. Pat Clancy says

    August 12, 2019 at 10:03 am

    Thanks for the link to the Rain Garden Manual. We have just one of these to put on a display table but I’m going to order more because the description of how-to is very well described and illustrated.

    Reply
    • Donna VanBuecken says

      August 12, 2019 at 1:40 pm

      Hi! Pat — glad I was able to be of help. I know there are many websites out there and likely other guides, as well, but I really like this little book for the very reasons you indicate.

      Reply

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