Rain Barrels and Gardens

Rain Barrels and Rain Gardens are popular ways to treat and properly manage stormwater run-off on personal property.

A rain barrel is a rainwater storage system that is connected to a downspout from a house or building. A rain barrel collects and stores rooftop runoff. A rain garden is an attractive, landscaped area typically planted with perennial native plants build in depressions which are designed to capture and filter stormwater runoff from impervious surfaces around the home, such as rooftops and driveways. Both types of water conservation help alleviate problems associated with flooding and drainage.

The following documents are helpful resources about rain barrels, and rain gardens.

Rain Barrels

Wooden barrel next to a wall, with vibrant purple flowers blooming beside it.

Many people ask where to get rain barrels. They can be purchased at a store, or you can search & buy them online, or the cheapest way is to make your own rain barrel. Our goal is water conservation! Below are a few YouTube videos on how to make your own rain barrel, along with a few PDF documents with suggestions as well. Good Luck!

Wayne SWCD - Rain Barrels;Wayne SWCD - Painting your Rain Barrel;Southwest Florida Water Management District - Rain Barrels - A Homeowner's Guide;

YouTube Video - Uses a planting basket - 6 ¼“ for filter on top;

YouTube Video (HGTV) - Bung on bottom, 3” hole top with window screen;

YouTube Video - 4” downspout adapter on top, vents & screen underneath;

YouTube Video (Penn State) - Uses atrium grate & drain sleeve on top for filter;

YouTube Video - Uses 8” round black grate on top –finishes with camo painting;

YouTube Video (Fort Hays student) - Uses PVC adapter (4” to 3”), cut over bung;

City of Bremerton, WA - How to Make Your Own Rain Barrel;Aware from Mahoning SWCD - Rain Barrels & Assembly; Design Facts - Catch the rain that would have washed away;

Stark SWCD:

Rain Barrel Installation Guide & How to install an Overflow Valve.

A lush raised garden bed with various green plants and leafy greens, set amidst trees.

Rain Gardens

Geauga SWCD - Rain Garden Manual for Homeowners;University of Wisconsin - Rain Gardens -A household way to improve water quality in your community;Taylor Creek Restoration Nurseries, WI - Build your own Rain Garden;Wayne SWCD - Helpful websites for Rain Gardens and Plants;Virginia Department of Forestry - Rain Gardens - A Technical Guide;Great Lakes Region, (Raingardens.org) - Rain Gardens for Pro Home Landscapes;Mill Creek Watershed Council of Communities - Rain Gardens - A How to Guide;Blue Thumb - Native Plants for Gardens, Rain gardens, & Shoreline Stabilization;Warren SWCD - Rain Garden Flowers

Utilizing Rainwater and Gravity: A Guide to Rain Gardens- a great article with helpful links. Thanks to Chloe!

Colorful garden with purple, orange, and pink flowers, surrounded by lush greenery and tall trees in the background.

Suggested Rain Garden Plants for Ohio

Great information from Warren County SWCD

Common Name / Botanical Name	Sun/Shade Preferences	Soil Moisture Pref. D= dry, M= Medium, W= wet
Arrowhead / Sagittaria latifolia	prefers full to partial sun and blooms white	W
Blazing Star / Liatris spicata	prefers sun and blooms purple-pink	M
Blueberries / Vaccinium sp.	prefers full to part sun and has red fall foliage	M-D
Blue Flag Iris / Iris versicolor	prefers sun and blooms blue	W
Brown Eyed Susan / Rudbeckia trilob	prefers full to partial sun and blooms yellow	M
Butterflyweed / Asclepias tuberosa	prefers full to part sun and blooms orange	D
Columbine / Aquilegia canadensis	prefers shade and blooms scarlet or yellow	M
Cup Plant / Silphium perfoliatum	prefers full to part sun and blooms yellow	M
Forget-me-not / Myosotis sylvatica	prefers full sun to partial shade and blooms blue	W
Great Blue Lobelia / Lobelia siphilitica	prefers full to part sun and blooms blue	W
Joe-Pye Weed / Eupatorium purpureum	prefers sun and blooms rose to pink	D
Little Bluestem / Schizachyrium scoparium (grass)	prefers full sun and blooms yellow to red	D
Mountain-laurel / Kalmia latifolia	prefers partial to full sun, evergreen shrub with pink flower clusters	M
Nannyberry / Viburnum lentago	prefers full sun, small deciduous shrub with small white flowers and blue-black fruit	M
New England Aster / Aster novae-anglia	prefers sun and blooms pink or purplish	W
Ohio Spiderwort / Tradescantia ohiensis	prefers partial shade and blooms blue-violet	M
Prairie Cord Grass / Spartina pectinata	prefers full sun and blooms green or gold	W
Prairie Dock / Silphium terebinthinaceum	prefers full to part sun and blooms yellow	D
Purple Coneflower / Echinacea purpurea	prefers full to part sun and blooms purple	D
Red Twig Dogwood / Cornus sericia (D-W)	deciduous shrub with small white flowers	D-W
Royal Catchfly / Silene regia	prefers full to part sun and blooms red	D
Shasta Daisy / Chrysanthemum maximum	prefers full sun and blooms white	M
Shining Sumac / Rhus copallinum	prefers full sun, deciduous shrub with clusters of dark red fruit	D
Sneezeweed / Helenium atumnale	prefers full to partial sun and blooms yellow	W
Smooth Aster / Aster laevis	prefers sun and blooms blue	D
Stalk-Grain Sedge / Carex stipata	prefers sun to light shade and blooms green	W
Swamp Milkweed / Asclepias incarnata	prefers sun and blooms red-pink	W
Sweet Black Eyed Susan / Rudbeckia subtomentosa	prefers full to part sun and blooms yellow	M
White Turtlehead / Chelone glabra	prefers sun and blooms white to purple	W
Wild Bergamot / Monarda fistulosa	prefers full to part sun and blooms lavender	D
Wild Geranium / Geranium maculatum	prefers full shade to partial sun and blooms pink	M