To build a rain garden, remove 4 to 6 inches of sod and soil, fill the area with growing media and install moisture-loving plants. Photo by Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter
Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica) is a good choice for Louisiana rain gardens. Photo by Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter
This rain garden features hibiscus. Photo by Damon Abdi/LSU AgCenter.
A small rain garden. Photo by Damon Abdi/LSU AgCenter
Turn your yard’s low spot into a high point with a rain garden
Summer in Louisiana tends to bring afternoon downpours. Where does all that rainwater go?Some of it is absorbed by the ground and plants. Some pools in low spots. And some turns into runoff, rushing into ditches, drains and, ultimately, natural waterways.“Particularly in urban environments where we have a lot of impermeable surfaces, that presents a problem,” said Damon Abdi, ...