Roses and Riverbeds: The Accidental Rain Garden

I once read an article about a garden that banned the colors pink, yellow, orange, and red. Every plant was chosen for its foliage and white, blue, or purple flowers. Despite its limited palette, the garden was beautiful and well designed but it seemed odd to me that only certain colors were allowed. I had recently extended my garden just to include a Graham Thomas climbing rose, a vigorous yellow climber I had been lusting after for years. I imagined its rich golden blooms draping gracefully over my fence and was determined to find a spot for it despite the obvious lack of available space.

All winter the same ridiculous conversation played itself out in my head, "I have nowhere to put this rose, so where am I going to put it?" With no space available, the only solution was to rip up a swath of grass and extend the garden. The only problem with my solution to the previous problem lay in the fact that my newly proposed bed lay at the edge of the swale that directed rain water away from my basement and towards the storm drain at the front of my property. I was hoping to create a mostly moist, sunny bed that would water my rose and give my dry, shady garden more light-filled planting space. 

To deal with the occasional gully washer, I added a dry riverbed through the new bed, bisecting it into two halves that would help absorb excess water while also watering the plants.  I'm not sure if it was the sheer will driving me to finish the project before spring break ended or the emotional release of physical labor directing my thoughts away from the recent death of one of my dogs, but it never occurred to me as I created the new bed that I was creating a rain garden. The more I dug, hauled compost and rocks, and planted, the less I openly grieved. The function of the garden became less important than the process of creating it.

Tropical Storm Alberto dropped almost 5 1/2 inches of rain on the casa this week, the mulch pounded with such force grooves like waves appeared over night, odd grassy corners filling with detritus. The riverbed flooded, the French well at the end filled, and the compost absorbed the rest. I was able to minimize the amount of water gushing though my storm drain and into the Chesapeake completely by accident. It was wonderful!

Digging up the sod

I used bricks leftover from my neighbors patio to help create the riverbed. Composted leaves and thatch removed from the lawn were used to build the raised berms.

I added a barrier to the area between the fence and the garden to help slow down the invasion of grass from our neighbors lawn.

I used a weed barrier made from recycled plastic bottles to form the bottom of the riverbed. I held it in place with salvaged bricks. 

The bulk of the riverbed was filled with
 cheap bags of pond rocks from Lowe's.

The first riverbed was too short and the soil level wasn't high enough.

I extended the riverbed to the fence and raised the soil level. I dug a French well, which is an intelligent way of saying " a big deep hole full of rocks" at the end of the riverbed to keep my water from rushing into my neighbor's yard. I took this picture after Alberto hit and the water had drained. The riverbed is still full of mulch.

Small boulders were strategically placed to slow down the force of the water. 

A trumpet creeper vine grows along the fence behind the rain garden.

Granite mini- boulders

Trailing lantana attracts butterflies

I love this pot and wanted to find a use for it after it started to fall apart. I sunk it into the garden to function as a toad house. 

Because this garden will be dry more often than wet, I added plants that  could withstand dry conditions. Dwarf gaura only grows to about 16". 

I love the new red foliage. 

Pennisetum 'Piglet' and a red creeping sedum were planted near the gaura. The pennisetum is on the side closest to the riverbed to take advantage of all available moisture.

'Peter's Purple', a xeric monarda, is planted near the fence. One of the plants was butt-pruned by one of my dogs. Pink coneflower seedlings grow between the monarda and the birdbath. I added a water wiggler to the birdbath to discourage mosquitoes.

A 'Graham Thomas' climbing rose and a 'Happy Chappy' ground cover rose grow along the fence. This area is close to the hose and a rain barrel and will be easy to keep watered. 'Pink Grapefruit' yarrow and a dwarf agastache grow between the roses and the gaura.

Happy Chappy rose

I couldn't resist a rose with yellow, apricot, and pink roses all on one small bush anymore than I could resist its cheerful name.

Graham Thomas climbing rose

Sedum 'Atumn Joy' divisions as well as Persian cornflower seedlings and a yellow yarrow fill in the gap between the mums and the riverbed. I was worried the sedum would rot in so much rain, but they're thriving.

I love the curving path the new bed helped create. The deutzia is almost done flowering. 


Flax (linum 'Appar'), dwarf rue, and prairie dropseed grass are also planted in the rain garden.