Before offering an elite-level water management hack that will boost the health of the home gardeners' yard and community at large, expert Chicago gardener Powers Plants (@powers_plants) said, "Time to talk about stormwater."
During big rainstorms, water pools at low places like paved roads and rushes along culverts into drains that lead to stormwater management systems. These systems can get overwhelmed during the kinds of intense weather events that are only becoming more and more frequent.
@powers_plants #stormwatermanagement #garden #gardentok #planttok #arlingtonheightsillinois #gardening ♬ original sound - Powers_Plants
You can take action in your own community to prevent the overwhelm or damage of public resources like stormwater management systems. Powers Plants describes that because "fast-running water just rushes over the surface, it doesn't actually seep deeply down into the soil where we want it," conventional lawns are only adding to the problem.
Stormwater management is important because the excess water "ends up in our creeks and rivers and streams and lakes, some of that's our drinking water," explained Powers Plants. When water runs off pavement, concrete, or conventional lawns that may be sprayed with pesticides or herbicides, it carries debris or chemicals with it.
"It's great if we can also filter that water, and how do we filter the water?" asked Powers Plants. "Plants!"
Powers Plants demonstrated how water rushes across a flat concrete driveway, completely avoiding a garden of native plants right next to it. Powers Plants resolves this issue by creating a bioswale, which is a vegetated area that slows down rushing water.
Powers Plants did this by reorienting the downspout from the house's gutter system toward the garden bed, where the water slowly makes its way through the plants.
Plants divert water down into the soil, into their root systems, which filter and purify the water before it enters the groundwater supply, or the excess water runs into the street. So rather than flood, and potentially pollute our waterways (which can have devastating consequences for coastal communities), the stormwater gives the garden an extra boost of hydration.
"Excellent video with beautiful plants! I have rain barrels and I am so glad especially during the drought season," wrote a commenter.
"Your gardens are amazing!! I love seeing so many native plants and this is making me rethink my husband's crisp grass along my sidewalks," wrote another home gardener.
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"Big fan of bioswales. I'm happy to see the city starting to implement them more," said another.
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