Landscaping your log cabin correctly will bring an air of vibrancy and complement its natural tones. Use flowers such as roses, azaleas and peonies as floral accents.
Rain gardens provide a way for storm water to drain away safely, decreasing the chance of flooding around your home and keeping pollutants out of local waterways.
How to Choose a Site
Rain gardens are shallow depressions designed to collect and infiltrate rainwater runoff that would otherwise runoff surfaces such as roofs, driveways, roads and parking lots. Rain gardens help control erosion and pollution from stormwater runoff while improving soil health, creating pollinator habitat and offering pollinator pollinators with pollinators habitats. Log homes typically sit on sloped land which makes them the perfect candidate for installing rain gardens that will reduce maintenance costs and enhance property values.
To determine whether an area is suitable for a rain garden, search for low areas that collect standing water following heavy rainfall, take into account sun exposure and soil type as well as existing utilities like septic systems or downspouts that might interfere with it, and call 811 before beginning any digging projects so underground utility lines are marked for safety.
Once you’ve selected a location, dig a hole 6-8 inches deep. When filling it up with water, wait 24 hours and observe whether all the excess goes away quickly – this indicates it may be suitable for a rain garden; otherwise it may need amending first before supporting such an installation.
As part of your preparations, remove all existing vegetation and amend the soil with a blend of leaf compost and sand. Clay soils are ideal for rain gardens because they absorb rainwater slowly without pooling up and leading to pooling or erosion; if unsure, conduct a soil test at your local extension service for a small fee and check its composition.
When selecting plants for your rain garden, be sure to select native species suited to the conditions in your region. Long-rooted varieties that can handle both dry and wet environments will promote healthier soil while decreasing watering needs – for instance, big bluestem grass (Andropogon gerardii) has roots that grow up to 12 feet deep compared to Kentucky bluegrass which typically only goes 2 feet down into the soil.
Planting
Selecting plants for a rain garden can be both art and science. When selecting your selections, keep beauty and color year-round in mind while at the same time being efficient in handling runoff water. Your local garden center can assist you with selecting native species that will flourish under local climate and soil conditions.
Step one in creating your rain garden is to prepare its site. Remove any lawn or plants, dig a shallow trench from its downspout to the rain garden, lining it with landscape fabric if desired and install an extension or diverter into its downspout for easy water flow. Step two is installing an extension/diverter of some sort into its downspout for optimal water distribution and flow into it from there.
Before beginning any digging project on your property, call 811 and have an 811 professional locate any underground utilities nearby. It is advisable that this step is taken prior to undertaking any project on your land; particularly when planning on creating a rain garden. To prevent hitting gas lines or taking down internet service inadvertently.
If you are uncertain of your site being suitable for a rain garden, conduct a simple soil test. Dig a hole 6-12 inches deep at your proposed location. Fill the hole with water, let it sit for one hour, and then measure and record how fast your soil drains; this should provide an idea of its drainage rate; if its level drops by one-half inch or less within 24 hours then this soil type makes an excellent candidate for creating rain gardens.
Once your soil has been tested, amend its site by mixing together 65% excavated soil and 35% compost to create well-draining soil that will make an excellent base for your rain garden. Doing this also increases organic matter, helping reduce erosion while supporting healthy plant growth.
After filling your basin to your desired ponding depth with amended soil, rake thoroughly to even out its texture before planting your garden! Remember to choose a variety of shrubs, perennial flowers, grasses and water-absorbing plants such as sedges and rushes for best results.
Maintenance
Rain gardens can add charm and functionality to any landscape, but log home properties particularly benefit from them. Rain gardens help direct excess water away from foundations and back into the soil, reducing potential log and siding damage while improving natural riparian buffers along waterways, which play an integral part in stream health.
Start by measuring the runoff area from your house and driveway to gain an idea of the amount of rain your rain garden can capture and retain. Next, determine its infiltration rate by filling a hole with water and timing how long it takes for it all to drain out completely before dividing this by its infiltration thickness to obtain its moisture retention capacity.
Assign a location for your rain garden that is at least 10 feet from both your home and driveway or streets, 50 feet from any existing drainage issues and without being over any septic systems or steep slopes. Before digging, call 811 to locate any potential underground utilities within this area before beginning construction work.
Dig a trench at a depth appropriate to your garden – at least 6 to 8 inches to allow adequate infiltration – then cover it with rocks before amending your soil by mixing together 65% excavated soil and 35% compost (or more, as required) in order to promote increased soil aeration and water absorption capabilities.
Once your site is prepared, install a downspout diverter or extension and place the pipe in a trench, using river rock as decorative element and to help avoid clogging of your drainpipes.
Start planning your rain garden by creating zones based on its moisture tolerance. In the center should be plants capable of withstanding standing water and puddles while outer edges could include more drought-tolerant species. Dig holes twice the width of root balls used by each species chosen and plant them at the same depth they were in their respective containers.
Design
Rain gardens are landscape features designed to reduce storm water runoff by collecting its flow and infiltrating it back into the soil, helping reduce flooding, remove pollutants, support wildlife and pollinator habitats and beautify neighborhoods. Selecting an appropriate site for a rain garden is key – it should be situated between two impervious surfaces (i.e. roof, lawn or street) in order to capture as much as 85% to 90% of all rainfall that hits its location.
A garden should be large enough to absorb most of its rainfall within 12 hours after an average storm event, according to its site drainage area, calculated by measuring its square footage of driveways, rooftops and lawns that drain to it. Additionally, its size should allow it to infiltrate all of this excess moisture within a reasonable timeframe.
To ensure water is effectively absorbed by plants, choose ones with deep roots capable of withstanding standing water for extended periods. Native species like big bluestem grass and fescue feature thick taproots which make them excellent choices for rain gardens; non-native options like Bengal Tiger canna, scarlet rose mallow, yellow flag iris (Siberian Iris), cardinal flower also do well in wet environments.
Before commencing any excavation project, contact your state’s Dig Safe number to have all utility lines marked for free. This step could save both money and stress later.
Once your area is clear, use a shovel or power hoe to dig a shallow depression in the area – one which will go deeper than your existing soil level and allow sufficient infiltration of approximately 6-8 inches. You can reuse or stockpile the soil that has been excavated from this project for other areas in your garden or stockpiling for future use.
Next, create a natural berm around the garden using some of the removed soil. Slope it down towards your proposed finish grade of garden (usually one foot lower than surrounding lawns), adding leaf compost as needed to complete this step.