What is a Rain Garden?

Rain gardens look like regular gardens, but they are more. They are specifically designed to soak up rain water, mainly from
rooftops, but also from driveways or patios. When it rains, the garden fills with a few inches of water and allows the water to soak into the ground rather than running off to the ditch or storm drain. Compared to a regular patch of lawn, a rain garden allows about 30% more water to soak into the ground! In addition to adding beauty and wildlife habitat to a landscape, rain gardens help recharge groundwater and protect nearby streams and lakes from stormwater pollution.

Visit a Rain Garden

In 2003, Cornell Cooperative Extension planted a rain garden demonstration site at the Zen Center in Syracuse, NY.

Take a Tour of the Rain Garden





Create your Own Rain Garden!

Download step by step instructions to create your own rain garden:

An Introduction to Rain Gardens (PDF)

A selection of rain garden plants