Kansas City Raingarden

A Kansas City Raingarden - Steve Oakes

Many older homes in the Kansas City area have an issue with water penetration in the basement, especially those homes with rock foundations. There are several approaches to reducing or eliminating the nuisance and most experts suggest the first step is to grade the soil around the exterior to allow water to flow away from the house. Such efforts should be complemented with splash blocks or downspout extensions of the guttering system to direct the runoff from the roof away from the structure.

The use of rain barrels can help, but depending on the surface area draining into the barrel, the capacity could be met in short order with a small to moderate rain event. Although rain barrels typically have an overflow or relief outlet, it may not keep up with the influx of precipitation.

Sutherlands employee Steve Oakes used a more dramatic approach to decrease the occurrence of water in the basement of his stone foundation Waldo home. Oakes installed a rain garden in his backyard.

Measuring 21 feet long, up to two feet deep and 14 feet at the widest, a weekend of work has significantly reduced the number of occasions water has entered the cellar.

The north side of the house is tied into the raingarden using 4 inch corrugated pipe connected to the 2 downspouts.

Pictured below are the component parts used to complete the connection.

The collection basin does not have to be elaborate. It simply could be a low spot in the yard where water pools during or after a rain. If the collected runoff permeates into the soil within 24 hours then that area qualifies as a basis for a raingarden. The second part of the equation as the name implies is the flora or plants occupying the space. Not many plants tolerate “wet feet” therefore it is important that plant selection for the location is based on the plants being raingarden worthy.

A picture of Oakes raingarden shortly after completion. As with any project that includes digging more than a few inches below the soil line and you are not sure of the location of underground utilities, call 8-1-1 several days before to have the services located. Edging and rock were used to help define the space.

Copper iris is a native plant that grows as tall as 18 to 24 inches

Oakes has 11 different plants native to the area that at times have been completely submerged after some rainfalls and suffering no ill effects. Two of his favorites are the Cardinal flower and Rose Mallow. Both bloom later in the summer with the Cardinal flower producing red tubular shaped flower heads that attract hummingbirds. The Rose mallow, a species of hibiscus with flowers very similar to the Rose of Sharon or Althea bush, will also be visited by the red throated bird.

The Flowers of the Rose mallow are up to 5 inches in diameter.

As with any landscaping project “purposeful planting” should be the foundation of the feature. For the Oakes raingarden, not only is it a retention basin, it also serves as a pollinator garden with flowering species from May, on into the first part of October.

Oakes will be presenting a short program with informational handouts on creating a raingarden at the Sutherlands home improvement and garden store, 311 W 72nd St (at Wornall) Kansas City, MO 64114 on Saturday, March 18 and April 1 at 10 am and 2 pm.

Photos by the author unless otherwise noted.

About the author – Steve Oakes is a retired, and former National Park Service Ranger at Denali, Carlsbad and Cuyahoga Valley National Parks.  Oakes and his wife enjoy hiking, backpacking, bicycle touring, canoeing and other outdoor adventures including gardening and native plant landscaping.

For more information on planting native wildflowers in your landscape in the Kansas City area, and the benefits thereof, visit https://grownative.org

Oakes raingarden plant list includes, Buttonbush, Rose Turtle head, Palm and Mace sedge, Downy skullcap, Bottlebrush liatris, Copper iris, Culver's root, Cardinal flower, Rose mallow, and Ohio spiderwort.