A Guide to Rain Garden Construction

Each group needs:

• 12-inch biodegradable coir hanging basket or planter with the group's media mix combination; use the same one as used in the previous two activities of this unit: Does Media Matter? Infiltration Rates and Storage Capacities and Making "Magic" Sidewalks of Pervious Pavement
• native plant species in 1-gallon or 4-inch container, selected from those researched for the Just Breathe Green: Measuring Transpiration Rates activity
• pervious pavement mix from Making "Magic" Sidewalks of Pervious Pavement activity
• shovel
• access to water, hoses and buckets
• Personal Rain Garden Worksheet (PDF), one per student

For the entire class to share:

• 1-cu. ft. bag sustainably sourced hardwood mulch, such as Melaleuca or eucalyptus
• bypass loppers
• 4 trundle wheels, a long-handled, rolling distance measuring device; alternatively, use long measuring tapes