Spring is just around the corner! That means so are colorful flowers, warmer weather, home listing season, and RAIN. Rain may be great for the May flowers, but if part of your yard is in a low-lying area, you probably dread all of the standing water that the rain causes. If you are planning to list your home this spring, having areas of standing water in your yard can be a big turnoff to buyers. Well, there is a simple solution to your soggy problem. Build a rain garden! Building a rain garden isn't just a great way to keep your ground from becoming a swamp. It also brings beauty to your yard, while helping out local wildlife and pollinators. Sometimes though, installing a new garden can be a bit daunting. After all, gardens can be a lot of work. Today we are going to go over a few simple steps for building a rain garden to get you a beautiful, low-maintenance garden that helps eliminate your mosquito-attracting standing water.

Step 1. Pick the right location

Although it may seem like you would want to put a rain garden in the lowest area of your yard where the water is gathering, that isn't really the best location for it. When deciding where to start building a rain garden, consider the following:

It's best to put a rain garden in one or more of these locations

• On the slope towards where your water is gathering
• Near downspouts
• Next to hard surfaces that water tends to run off such as your driveway or patio

Do not try building a rain garden in these locations

• Within 10 feet of a house or other building
• In a shady area
• Areas with utilities underground - always call 511 before you dig to have someone come out to mark where your utilities are located

Step 2. Decide on the size and depth

This step varies greatly depending on the amount of water you have standing on a regular basis, your soil type, and the size of your yard. Essentially, the bigger the problem, the bigger you want your garden to be. That being said, even a small garden is better than no garden. In most cases, a garden that is between 100 and 300 feet wide will be good. In our part of Michigan, we have a lot of clay soil. Gardens with this kind of soil can be kept shallower at around 3 inches deep. If you live closer to the Michigan coastline where the ground is sandier, you'll want your rain garden to be deeper at around 8 inches. It is also a good idea to dig some deeper channels that divert water to your garden rather than to your water-prone area.

Step 3. Amend your garden soil

Again, in our area, we have clay soil. If that is the case where you live as well, add some sphagnum peat moss and compost to your soil to help with drainage and garden fertility. However, do not put down any landscaping fabric as this will impede drainage and defeat the purpose of your rain garden.

Step 4. Create your garden

When creating your rain garden, choose plants that can handle the extra moisture. It's also a good idea to minimize the amount of work you have to do by planting perennials.Then you don't have to plant new plants every year. Native plants will have less upkeep as well because they are perfectly suited to your area. When selecting plants, don't forget to consider plants of various heights and bloom times for a garden that is beautiful year-round. Here are some great plant options for your rain garden.

• Astilbe
• Bee Balm
• Butterfly Weed
• Rhododendron
• Switchgrass
• Sedges
• Columbines
• Joe Pye Weed
• New England Aster
• Summersweet
• Bellflower
• Cardinal Flower
• Dwarf Winterberry
• Lady Fern
• Pink Turtlehead
• Sword Fern
• Black-eyed Susan
• Coneflower

After your plants are planted, top the garden with some small river rocks or mulch to reduce weeds. If after building a rain garden, you still have issues with water gathering in your yard, try planting more trees near the area as trees soak up a lot of water.

As always, thanks for reading!

MI Home Team Realtors

Cheryl Clossick

Ginny Krauss

Kelly Marion

Chrissy Myers