Rain Gardening in the Home Landscape
Story and photographs by Kim Counts Morganello, Water Resources Agent, Clemson Extension
The Lowcountry is defined by meandering tidal creeks and rivers, vast salt marshes, majestic cypress tupelo swamps, and gorgeous beaches. As residents of this special place, we play a role in protecting these shared natural resources for current and future generations. Actions that we take on land directly impact our precious local waterways. When rain falls on impervious surfaces, such as rooftops, driveways, and compacted lawns, the rainfall is unable to infiltrate, or soak into the ground, and becomes stormwater runoff. As stormwater runoff moves across the landscape, it picks up pollutants we leave behind, such as pet waste, excess fertilizers, litter, oil, and gasoline, and carries these materials downstream. Stormwater flows into a nearby waterway untreated; as a result, stormwater runoff pollution is considered the leading threat to water quality of the surface waters in the United States.