It’s no joke that water bills have skyrocketed in the past several years in Southern California. Rainfall has been scarce, leaving reservoirs dry and draining lake volume. It hasn’t been much better for Northern California, where much of the state’s water supply exists. As trends continue, many homeowners and property managers have looked to drought resistant alternatives for their landscapes in order to save on water bills. One alternative that has become popular amongst those seeking to use the most of their environment is the rain garden.

           Rain gardens function exactly how their name describes - they utilize rainfall for gardens. One might immediately think, “Don’t all outdoor gardens utilize rainfall?” They do, but not to the extent that a rain garden does. Typically, rain only effects the areas it lands and where runoff flows. With a rain garden, water from roofs is often taken through the gutters and redirected to the garden, either by simply pointing the gutters towards the rain garden, or in some cases, adding pipes to the ends of the gutters to deliver the water farther away or in another fashion. Some rain gardens are simply just a garden that is planted in a depression in the soil. In the case of adding pipes to the gutters, the water is sometimes delivered straight into the soil rather than being left on the surface to be absorbed there.



           There are great benefits to rain gardens both for people and the environment. For one, it helps filter runoff pollution. Much of the pollution civilization creates is washed away by rain and carried all the way to rivers, lakes, and oceans, making the water polluted and uninhabitable for wildlife. Rain gardens help minimize runoff, therefore keeping pollutants like oil from cars, pesticides, and weed-killers from going into the environment. They also tend to help recharge ground water and keep standing water from forming on the surface. In areas with a lot of mosquito’s, this is helpful as it keeps them from having places to lay their eggs. As for saving money, rain gardens don’t only cut down on your watering costs. In Southern California, homeowners and property managers are entitled to a rebate for using rain gardens, as well as drought resistant plants and landscape materials. For more information on rebates, you can visit www.bewaterwise.com. For a free estimate, call us at 1-(661) 298-0888.