Rain Gardens

As part of an effort to reduce flooding in the North Creek Watershed, Snohomish County’s Public Works provided residences with individual Department of Ecology funded grants to build rain and terrace gardens on their properties. Harrison Design designed, permitted and installed two of these projects for two residences in the summer of 2009. Using a deep profile of specialized rain garden soil and a palette of native and adaptive plants, on-site and adjacent roadway runoff was directed into these planting beds to slow, absorb, and filter the stormwater. In addition to their stormwater runoff advantages, these successful projects needed to fit into the character and aesthetic of the individual homeowners’ gardens to promote their use in the neighborhood and wider watershed.
After - Native plants and deep soil profile replaced the existing lawn.
Cobbles found during excavation armor the inlet from the roof's runoff and created the dry stream bed.
Fall leaves add mulch to the dry stream bed outlet.
Before - Existing lawn was compacted and did little to absorb runoff.