Rain Gardens

Rain gardens are a fun and easy way to benefit both Lake Wingra and your pocketbook. Start here, then go to view some gardens and consider building one of your own!

Why should I plant a rain garden?

Once your rain garden has taken root, you’ll feel good knowing that your property is part of the solution, and no longer part of the problem. The benefits are as good for your pocketbook as they are for the environment!

How can I learn to plant one?

Learn with us during our rain garden design workshops and our hands-on community work days, where we go through the ABCs of soil preparation, planting, and maintenance of rain gardens. Sue Ellingson has a very good web site (Sue’s Rules for Rain Gardens) that includes a wonderful plant list. Edgewood College also has a website dedicated to the topic.

I want to see one. Where can I go to look at a rain garden?

What is FOLW doing to promote rain gardens?

FOLW and partners have proposed to build a rain garden street demonstration project in the Vilas Neighborhood. A rain garden street is street that has extensive infiltration gardens alongside, primarily in the terrace, but also extending into the street in places.