Permeable Sidewalk: Permeable paving captures water that would normally run off and allows it to soak down into gravel beds below.
Strip Drain: This drain captures water as it flows across the sidewalk and channels it into the upper retention basin.
Retention Basins: The primary feature of a rain garden is its retention basin(s) that capture and hold water. The specially mixed soil in the basin acts like a sponge, holding water during rain storms, then allowing the water to permeate into the surrounding soil quickly. Plants in a rain garden must withstand both wet and dry conditions, as well as periodic inflow of pollutants. Many plants native to Maryland and the mid-Atlantic region for rain gardens. The upper basin features shade loving woodland natives, and the lower basin includes sun loving native perennials and shrubs.
Water-Wise Display Beds: The beds surrounding the upper retention basin are permanent planking beds, which help capture rain water and channel it toward the basins. All of these plants, many of which are native, have water-wise tendencies and will require little or no supplemental watering once they are established.
Dry Stream Beds: The decorative dry stream beds help to divert rain water from sidewalks into the retention basins.
Recycling
and Re-Use: Large rocks and stone, as well as appropriate shrubs and perennial plants, were re-used from the garden previously on this site.
Why did Brookside build a Rain Garden?
The sloping lawn and sidewalk above this garden collect a large amount of rainwater, which would overflow through the previous garden and into the parking lot and stream below. The stream often flooded and, over time, has been damaged by siltation. Staff members spent countless hours cleaning up the garden beds and parking lot following heavy rains. Now the garden effectively captures and filters runoff recharging the natural underground water supply.
This project was made possible through the generous support of the following organizations:
Design: Low impact Development Center, Inc. Ann English, ASLA, RLA, LEED AP Landscape Architect
Labor Excavation and Hardscape: J&G Landscape Design, Inc.
Plants: Montgomery County Dept. of Environmental Protection, RainScapes Program
Silver Spring Garden Club, in Honor of Alice Frandsen
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