A rain chain channels water off the roof, into a catch basin hidden beneath river rocks
Photo: Camille Nordgren
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Save water on a rainy day
3 ways to catch, store and use rainwater
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Plant a rain garden
When rain falls in Seattle, homeowner Lyn Dillman smiles: Water that used to run down the street now pools in a thickly planted infiltration basin at the garden’s edge, where it percolates into the groundwater below.
“It’s a win-win situation,” says landscape designer Malissa Gatton. “The garden helps reduce this household’s environmental footprint. Anybody could do it.”
If you have soil that drains well, a rain garden is a great option. Channel rainwater from the roof into a shallowly buried pipe that empties into an infiltration basin or swale at least 10 feet away from your house.
Grow water-tolerant plants such as shrub willows in the basin.
Design Malissa Gatton (inharmony.com or 888/ 472-7748)
Next: Who owns the rain?
