Learn to Build a Rain Garden, Get Free Plants

 The Flint Creek Watershed Partnership wants residents' help o save a half-million gallons of water. 

Flint Creek Watershed Partnership is looking for homeowners, organizations and businesses to join our Half-Million-Gallons project by building their own rain gardens in the Flint Creek watershed.

The rain garden seminar will be held Saturday, March 9, 9:30-11:30 a.m. at Barrington Village Hall, 200 S. Hough St.

 There will be free native plants for the first 30 gardens in the Flint Creek Watershed provide free native plants and guidance from experts.

Free consultations from landscape professionals at Trillium Native Landscapes and Kevin's Rain Gardens will also be available.

Rain gardens use native plants to create beautiful natural landscape features that require less maintenance and fewer chemicals than lawns. They are 50-300 sq. ft. shallow depressions that capture runoff from impervious areas such as roofs and pavement and allow it to seep slowly into the ground. This gets stormwater into the ground to replenish groundwater supplies instead of running across
lawns and streets into a sewer or ditch that flows directly into Flint Creek or another waterbody. Once established, a rain garden can convert 15,000-30,000 gallons of stormwater runoff a year to groundwater, protecting Flint Creek by reducing stormwater runoff – and flooding – and filtering pollutants. 

 RSVP pmortimer@earthlink.net

Those who are not in the Flint Creek Watershed, can order a rain garden package from Citizens for Conservation for pickup at its native plant sale May 4-5.