The Rain Garden Handbook
Creating beautiful gardens that help water your landscape

This is a book for gardeners and those new to gardening. It is for environmentalists and any governmental agency that is looking for a complete and easy to follow set of instructions for creating a garden that collects rainwater.

Standard technical language usually associated with how-to books has been replaced with humorous antidotes and put-you-in-my-shoes descriptions that help the reader/adventurous gardener avoid pitfalls while he learns.

A Rain Garden Handbook leads the reader step-by-step through the process of creating a rain garden. From the USDA Zone Map that helps the reader identify his climate to the formulas for calculating material needs and where to find those materials, the reader is able to confidently plan, design and install his garden.

Each chapter takes one step and provides enough information that the reader can then undertake that phase of the project. As an example, the chapter on plant selections is broken down by type (groundcovers, grasses, perennials, shrubs) and paints visual pictures of each plant. Each plant also has notations about what grows in what climate (USDA zone), and whether it prefers dry or wet soils. These considerations make for thriving plants in any part of the country.

The container sizes that are usually available are noted with ‘where to find’ suggestions. Some history on plant names, growing habits and other interesting notes are included to amuse the reader and to entice him to try that plant in his garden.

The supplier’s section even lists quality mail order nurseries so that the reader has instant access with straight to their front door delivery. Selecting the proper tools, scheduling and planning deliveries and even weeding, dividing and maintaining your plants is covered so that the garden project continues to be a success many years after it is installed.