Roll Gardening & Green
Stormwater Runoff
by Luanne Panarotti
So what’s a homeowner to do? Consider some ways to mitigate the impact of your development, while also enhancing your landscape.
Permeable Surfaces
Choose brickwork, pavers, stone or bark chips for patios and paths. These materials allow water to penetrate the ground beneath, while offering endless creative possibilities for your landscape. In situations where pavement is deemed necessary for driveways or sidewalks, investigate the new permeable alternatives, such as pervious concrete and asphalt.
Wrangling Roof Runoff
The key to dealing with runoff from your roof is finding ways to redirect and reuse it. One way to turn your housetop into a storm water management system is with a “green roof.” This is a roof that has been covered with a membrane— to serve as a moisture and root barrier— and then planted. Rain hitting a green roof is captured and utilized by the vegetation, moving through the natural processes of evaporation and transpiration. This not a project for the faint of heart or slim of wallet, and should be overseen by professionals to ensure structural integrity and horticultural success.
For centuries, the Japanese have used rain chains, or kusari doi, to guide rainwater from rooftops to collection receptacles or garden areas below. Crafted in copper and other metals, these attractive chains offer soothing sound and sculptural interest, unlike traditional gutter downspouts. Set a decorative basin beneath each chain, or a wooden frame filled with pebbles, where your patience may be rewarded with velvety mosses growing amid the stones. CONTINUE...
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