Residents can soak-up stormwater from their yards by planting a rain garden. For the eighth year in a row the City will offer free workshops to teach residents how to improve drainage on their property by planting a rain garden.

Four free rain garden workshops are scheduled this spring, where residents will receive detailed guidance on how to plant a rain garden.

A rain garden is a landscaped area that holds rain water runoff for a few hours to a few days using native plants that help the soil soak up more water. After a rain event, the water slowly soaks into the ground. The gardens help residents reduce standing water on their property and reduce the amount of runoff that goes into combined sewers, which improves water quality in our rivers. Compared with a grassed lawn area, a rain garden may allow 30% more water to be absorbed.

To register, residents should call 311 to sign-up for a workshop.

Fort Wayne City Utilities Rain Garden Workshops 2016

Saturday, April 2, 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Tecumseh Library 1411 E. State Blvd.

Saturday, April 9, 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Aboite Branch Library 5630 Coventry Lane

Saturday, May 7, 1:30 – 4:30 p.m. Purdue Extension Office, 4001 Crescent Ave.

Saturday, May 21, 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Dupont Library, 536 E. Dupont Road

Native Plant Sale

Saturday, May 28 9:00 AM – noon Salomon Farm Park, 817 W. Dupont Road

· Riverview Nursery will be selling native and rain garden plants and rain garden kits

· Informational displays and experts available to answer questions about rain gardens and incorporating native plants into landscaping

· Light refreshments

Residents who own property in the City of Fort Wayne are eligible to apply for a cash incentive to help offset some of the costs of installing a rain garden at their home. The incentive is only available for those who attend a training session and fill out the application.

More information about rain gardens may be found at City Utilities’ rain garden website at www.CatchingRainFW.org.