So far we’ve gotten good rain fall this season and shouldn’t let it go to waste running off our roofs and into the streets, storm drains, and creeks where it could cause flooding. Instead we should direct that rain water into our gardens, allowing it to percolate downward, recharging our local aquifers and purifying the water as it passes through the soil. Learn how rain gardens keep water on site and solve drainage problems, and which California native plants are best suited for them.

Madeline Morrow is the President of our Chapter of CNPS. A former computer programmer, she now volunteers in her community and works extensively on her native garden. Her garden was featured in Bay Nature Magazine in March 2013 and she solved her drainage problem by installing a rain garden.