Rain Gardens

This week, Joanne Shaw discusses rain garden design with Michael Albanese, owner of AVESI Stormwater and Landscape Solutions and author of The Modern Rain Garden: Scrape, Shape and Plant.

About the Book: The Modern Rain Garden: Scrape, Shape, and Plant 

The updated and expanded second edition for 2025 builds off the amazing success of the original release of Modern Rain Garden. As a professional rain garden builder, Michael gives an in-depth account of his experience designing, building, and managing rain gardens over the past 15 years. Readers will feel empowered to take ownership of their rain gardens so decisions can be made with confidence. The second edition also covers more topics and goes deeper into why and how the Scrape, Shape, and Plant method is one that lets nature do the work. This method has evolved by regularly assessing what's essential, effective, and improvable -- prioritizing simplicity over complexity.

Rain Garden Design and Benefits

• Michael explained his approach to rain garden design, emphasizing the importance of shaping the landscape to create a water-absorbing vessel rather than focusing solely on plant selection.
• Rain gardens can solve specific problems like water pooling; they also offer environmental benefits by managing stormwater and promoting biodiversity.
• The potential for rain gardens to help homeowners better manage water on their properties, especially in areas with extreme weather changes.
• Rain gardens can serve both problem-solving and environmentally sustainable purposes, catering to different client needs and preferences.

Rain Garden Construction Strategies

• Strategies for managing water on residential properties, focusing on the concept of active rainfall versus inactive rainfall.
• Michael explained his approach to rain garden construction, emphasizing the "scrape and shape" method which involves minimal soil disturbance and uses existing site materials.
• He described how this method avoids the resource waste and over-engineering often seen in traditional rain garden installations.
• The challenges of planting in different soil types and the importance of allowing plants to naturally improve soil conditions over time.

Rain Garden Design and Management

• Joanne and Michael discussed rain garden design and water management in residential landscapes. Rain gardens rely on infiltration rather than pond liners; its important to use materials properly.
• The challenges with new subdivisions where shared drainage systems can cause issues if not properly managed.
• The misconceptions about rain gardens and native plants.
• Rain gardens are typically dry and do not require water-loving plants, contrary to popular belief.
• The importance of proper maintenance and the challenges of using native plants, including issues with invasiveness and the need for regular care.

The Modern Rain Garden

• Michael discussed his journey of writing a book on rain gardens, sharing insights from his experience and the evolution of the second edition, which is more comprehensive with additional photos and content.

Landscaping Challenges and Solutions

• The challenges with new residential developments in areas like Brooklyn, where clay soil and tight spaces make landscaping difficult, and Joanne shared that she recently installed irrigation at her own property to manage water flow more effectively.

Landscape Contractor Oversight Challenges

• Joanne shared her frustration with contractors bullying clients into starting landscape projects without proper planning, leading to disappointed homeowners and suboptimal results. She emphasized the importance of design and proper execution, highlighting cases where clients regretted not having a detailed plan.
• Michael agreed, noting that post-planting management is crucial for a design's success, and shared a challenging case where neglect led to the failure of a rain garden installation.
• Both discussed the need for better contractor oversight and client education to ensure satisfaction with landscape projects.

You can find AVESI Stormwater and Landscape Solutions on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.

Resources Mentioned in the Show:

The Modern Rain Garden: Scrape, Shape and Plant

Down the Garden Path: A Step-By-Step Guide to Your Ontario Garden

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Down the Garden Path Podcast

On Down The Garden Path, professional landscape designer Joanne Shaw discusses down-to-earth tips and advice for your plants, gardens and landscapes. As the owner of Down2Earth Landscape Design, Joanne Shaw has been designing beautiful gardens for homeowners east of Toronto for over a decade. She does her best to bring you interesting, relevant and useful topics to help you keep your garden as low-maintenance as possible. 

In Down the Garden Path: A Step-By-Step Guide to Your Ontario Garden, Joanne and fellow landscape designer Matthew Dressing distill their horticultural and design expertise and their combined experiences in helping others create and maintain thriving gardens into one easy-to-read monthly reference guide. Get your copy today on Amazon. 

Don't forget to check out Down the Garden Path on your favourite podcast app and subscribe! You can now catch the podcast on YouTube.