Rain Garden 4.0.1

Rain gardens are depressions in the ground that collect rainwater from roofs, driveways, parking areas, or other hard surfaces, thus reducing the amount of polluted runoff entering local waterways. Developed by the University of Connecticut Center for Land Use Education and Research, this application serves as a valuable resource for homeowners, landscapers, contractors, and other users.

The application provides comprehensive guidance on designing, installing, and maintaining a rain garden. It offers essential information on the concepts and functions of rain gardens, detailed instructions on proper design and installation techniques, and useful tips for garden upkeep. Users can benefit from a series of informative video tutorials that walk them through each stage of the process.

One of the standout features of the app is the Plant Selector tool, which enables users to choose native, noninvasive plants and their cultivars suitable for rain gardens. This tool allows plant selection based on plant type, sun exposure, and bloom color preferences.

Additionally, the app offers tools for calculating the ideal size of a rain garden based on the area draining into it, a soil drainage map to assess suitability for a rain garden in specific locations, and a straightforward cost calculator to estimate expenses.

Users can conveniently store information about their installed rain gardens in the app and set up maintenance reminders for multiple garden projects. Although primarily tailored to Connecticut users with a region-specific plant catalog and mapping tools, the general guidance and insights provided are universally applicable. Plans are underway to develop a version of the application that can be used nationwide.

The Center for Land Use Education and Research is a collaborative initiative between the Departments of Extension and Natural Resources and Environment within UConn’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources in conjunction with the Connecticut Sea Grant Program.