Back-to-Back Edible Rain Garden Installs

Earlier this season we had been joking that even though we were busy, we hadn't done a single rain garden installation yet.  We had done some revamping of a couple older ones, an edible landscape for a commercial project, several large native plantings and a homestead orchard.

Little did we know that we would do two back-to-back rain garden installs, that also wanted to include as many food producing plants as possible!

This first project in Clive was the first to use their newly retooled cost share program (link).

The other was in Des Moines, and after a little time to think it through, they decided to go for it!

More details on these projects are coming up, but I was excited to share the combination of stormwater, natives and edible plants and trees!

Sod ...but it's Prairie!

Earlier this year the Polk County Water Resources team asked us to help with a special project.  They were hoping to try a new prairie sod product they had learned about by webinar.  There was a small drainage easement near Ankeny that was a likely candidate for this project, and the neighboring homeowners had been fighting weeds and water issues for several years while trying to maintain the space.

Before - First Look
Messy drainage easement from the outlet

Many suburban developments have a drainage easement that runs along the back property edges.  A lot of homeowners can have issues with poor turf grass quality and drainage issues in these areas, especially if the grading is variable at installation or settling over time.  These issues usually get worse as you get closer to the end.

With steady Spring rains delaying cutting, a communication mix-up and surprise shipping date, the schedule was in a bit of a kerfuffle, but we rearranged our plate and things turned out ok.  Pfew!

The existing sod was cut and removed, using it to patch in some rougher spots along the neighboring lot.  Looking at these pictures is a reminder of how much turfgrass there was.  

Those rolls were heavy too!

Pallets of the new sod arrive at the job site.  The plants were well rooted into the mat material.  Even though it seemed shallow, there were many species (guessing the deeper-rooted ones) were seedlings mixed in with the taller grasses, sedges and quick growing black-eyed susans.  Our little dump trailer has moved a lot of material over the years!

Native Prairie Sod, delivered and untarped

The Prairie Sod was installed and pinned, with extra pins and rock armor near the storm drain outlet.  We also rearranged the boulders to make mowing easier for the homeowner around the outlet.

Native Prairie Sod

And why would it not rain during the installation?  Rain days hit us hard when our projects are typically right in "the line of fire", or flooding in our case.

Eventually it dried out enough for work to continue!  Time to rearrange the boulders...

This, along with the sod laid at the Public Works facility, will be a good test case for the water resource team to assess feasibility of using native sod in stormwater projects.  It provides instant coverage, many good-sized plants from day one, a few early bloomers in flower, with others soon to follow.  It has lots of water flow down and across the site, typical clay soil and full sun.

After - Prairie Sod

I could see us using this for similar products in the future as it seems like a great solution for large projects, new construction and commercial parking or neighborhood detention basins.  I also imagine, at least on some of our projects, we might design an intentional planting of selected natives as a border and to lead the eye into the "wilder" look of prairie sod like this.

After - Overlooking the easement from above the stormwater outlet