New Rain Garden beautifies and manages water runoff

The Harwood Learning Landscape Arboretum and Wildflower Trail at Kettunen Center has a new theme garden to manage rain water runoff.

The Harwood Learning Landscape Arboretum and Wildflower Trail at Kettunen Center has a new theme garden to manage rain water runoff.

MSU Extension master gardener volunteers, Maggie Swiriduk, Pat Marlow, Andrea Grix, and Mike Stifler, a retired Department of Environmental Quality Water Division engineer, wanted to change the ditch at the trail entrance to a rain garden that would not only manage water runoff, but also showcases native Michigan wildflower species.

The rain garden, made possible with a gift from Dr. and Mrs. Russ Mawby and the work of volunteers, manages the rain runoff from the impervious surfaces like the road, parking lot and compacted lawn areas at Kettunen Center by collecting and absorbing the rain water preventing soil erosion, water pollution and flooding. Native plants are used because they do not require fertilizer, are more tolerant of local weather conditions and also attract local pollinators such as birds, butterflies and bees. The plants absorb excess water and rocks placed at the entrance of the garden slow and direct water flow.   

In addition, the gift supported the work of a professional landscape designer from Manning Designs of Big Rapids to create a new plan for the pollinator garden areas, and to purchase informational signage for the garden. The signage explains the importance of gardening for native bees using native wildflowers, shrubs and trees. The sign is a replica of the signage placed in the MSU Horticulture Gardens at the native bee educational display garden.