BEFORE: A broad lawn. The green line on the asphalt shows the proposed rain garden. After input from the neighborhood, the "bump-out" was made more narrow.
The goal of this design is to make the rain garden part of the landscape by extending it into the yard and around the corner. The bump-out no longer looks tacked on. Instead, it flows.
The garden was planted in two stages. The homeowners planted their portion (at left) first. Later in the year, the city came to plant its portion (the gravel area at right).
After one year, the plants are filling out the space. The homeowners have been diligent about weeding. The plants in the gravel zone (planted by the city) did not get into the ground until late fall, and some may have died. Going forward, dead plants will be replaced. In addition, the homeowners might add a few more flowering perennials to ensure more summer color.
A pair of hornbeams (Carpinus caroliniana) follows the inside curve of the garden.