Residents from Fort Wayne and surrounding areas have four opportunities to take advantage of free Rain Garden workshops this spring. Residents can bring photos of how stormwater impacts their yard and learn how to build a rain garden that might reduce standing water on their property. Each session is taught by a City landscape architect.

Rain gardens are landscaped areas that help manage and control rain water runoff by containing it where it falls and giving the water an opportunity to soak into the ground, rather than enter a sewer. Native plants are recommended for rain garden planting because they have robust root systems that break up soil, allowing more water to soak in.

Workshop Dates:

Saturday, March 17 8:30 AM – 12:30 PM

McMillen Park Community Center – Red Room

3901 Abbott Street

Saturday, April 7 8:30 AM – 12:30 PM

Manchester University School of Pharmacy — Room 105

10627 Diebold Road

Thursday, April 19 6:00 – 9:30 PM

Citizens Square – Omni Room

200 E. Berry Street

Saturday, April 28 10:30 AM – 2:30 PM

Aboite Branch Library

5630 Coventry Lane

To register for a workshop or for more information, call 311. Much more information about rain gardens may be found at City Utilities’ rain garden website at www.CatchingRainFW.org.

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 when they attend a rain garden workshop.

True native plants can be difficult to find. An abundance of these native perennial plants will be available at our native plant sale on May 26.

Catching Rain Native and Rain Garden Plant Sale

Saturday, May 26 9:00 AM – noon

Salomon Farm Park Learning Center

817 W. Dupont Road