Plants That Work In The Rain Garden

Manage Rainwater With The Rain Garden By Plant by Number

Have a soggy spot in your yard or runoff from a downspout? The Rain Garden Plant by Number transforms problem areas into beautiful, water-absorbing plantings that benefit your landscape and the environment!

Designed for wet or periodically saturated soil, this 10 by 5 foot layout uses native and adaptive plants to capture and filter stormwater, all while putting on a colorful show from spring through fall!

Created by landscape architect Katie Weber, this Rain Garden design is ideal for areas where water temporarily collects after rain. Instead of fighting nature, it works with it, slowing runoff, recharging the soil, and supporting pollinators. It’s perfect for USDA growing zones 4 to 9 and thrives in full sun to partial shade.

What’s Included in the Rain Garden Plan

This 10-foot by 5-foot layout is perfect for:

• Low areas that collect water
• Swales or natural drainage paths
• Around downspouts or sump pump outlets
• That damp area around your HVAC unit
• Pollinator-friendly wetland edges

The downloadable garden plan includes a detailed layout, spacing guide, and step-by-step planting instructions to make installation easy! Plus, Nature Hills delivers your plants and kit directly to your doorstep!

Whether you're planting near a driveway, at the bottom of a slope, or beside a roof gutter, this plan helps turn your low spot into a high-impact feature!

This rain-hardy lineup includes:

• 2 Willow Bushes for height, vibrant stems, and winter color
• 5 Iris Versicolor (like Blue Flag Iris) for early summer blooms and water filtration
• 7 Cardinal Flower for brilliant red blooms, hummingbird appeal, and tall, late summer color

These plants thrive in wet soil and seasonal standing water, making them excellent choices for eco-friendly water management and native habitat creation. Get ready to enjoy mosquito-eating Dragonflies and watch happy toads and bug-eating frogs move into your garden!

Step by Step: How to Install a Plant by Number Garden

1. Pick Your Plan: Download the Rain Garden plan PDF with layout and instructions (included in the kit that arrives from Nature Hills)
   
   
2. Prep Your Site: Dig a shallow basin or use an existing low spot that collects water
   
   
3. Lay Out the Design: Follow the diagram to space each plant appropriately
   
   
4. Dig and Plant: Dig holes twice as wide as the pots and install the plant at grade level
   
   
5. Water and Mulch: Water after planting and apply a 3 to 4 inch layer of arborist mulch to reduce weeds and help retain moisture between rain events
   
   
6. Maintain and Enjoy: Follow the included maintenance guide and watch your rain garden flourish

Caring for and Maintaining Your Rain Garden

This plan is filled with water-loving plants that thrive in wet soils and bounce back from periodic drying.

• Water during dry spells in the first year using the Finger Test
• Reapply arborist mulch each spring to improve soil and retain moisture
• Cut back Willow shrubs in early spring to encourage fresh, colorful stems
• Deadhead Cardinal Flower to prolong bloom or allow to self-seed for natural spreading
• Divide Iris every 3 to 4 years to maintain healthy growth and bloom
• Remove debris from the basin in early spring to improve drainage and plant health

Beauty With a Purpose

The Rain Garden by Plant by Number helps solve stormwater issues while adding bold seasonal color and attracting wildlife. Blue Flag Iris and Cardinal Flower support pollinators and hummingbirds, while the Willows bring structure and winter interest. It’s more than a garden, it’s a habitat, a solution, and a showpiece all in one compact, easy-to-install space!

Order your Rain Garden plan today and turn a wet problem spot into a water-loving garden full of life and color. Nature Hills will deliver your plants and the kit directly to your doorstep!