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Rain Gardens - The Best Plants to Grow in your Garden

Rain gardens are fantastic for utilizing rainwater run-off in your landscape, and they also contribute to reducing pollution in our waterways. Here are some of the best plants to consider for a rain garden:

  • Red Twig Dogwood (Cornus sericea): This shrub has striking red branches in winter and white flowers in spring. It loves wet soil and can tolerate periods of drought too.
  • Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata): This plant loves moist conditions and will attract a range of pollinators, including the monarch butterfly, to your garden.
  • Blue Flag Iris (Iris versicolor): Ideal for the wettest parts of the garden, this plant produces lovely blue-violet flowers in the spring.
  • Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis): Known for its brilliant red flowers, this perennial plant thrives in wet conditions.
  • Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium purpureum): A tall, native perennial, it’s ideal for the back of your rain garden and its pink-purple flowers will attract butterflies.
  • River Birch (Betula nigra): If you have space for a tree, the River Birch is a great choice. It loves wet conditions and its peeling bark adds winter interest.

These plants are all great choices for a rain garden, and they also provide the additional benefit of attracting a variety of wildlife to your yard.

Rain Gardens, Bog Gardens, Water Gardens, Aquatic Gardens, Ponds, Pools, Pool Ideas, Pool Designs, Pool Landscaping
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    Create a membership account to save your garden designs and to view them on any device.

    Becoming a contributing member of Gardenia is easy and can be done in just a few minutes. If you provide us with your name, email address and the payment of a modest $25 annual membership fee, you will become a full member, enabling you to design and save up to 25 of your garden design ideas.

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