PA DEP Growing Greener Grant

This grant has now ended and we are no longer able to offer free rain gardens through this project. You can watch a recording of our last virtual tour:

Free Rain Garden!

 Beautify your Home, Support Research

to Stop Flooding

Enhance your property, protect our streams and prevent flooding with a FREE rain garden installation. Put our experience building hundreds of rain gardens at homes, businesses and parks to work for you and support your community. If enough neighbors participate and a garden is feasible, our team will assess design and build you a rain garden worth thousands of dollars to beautify your property.

Rain Gardens reduce flooding and storm water pollution, improving water quality in our streams and rivers for aquatic life & recreation.

What is a Rain Garden?

Beautiful landscaped areas built down, instead of up, intercepting runoff from homes, driveways and other impervious surfaces before it reaches storm sewers and streams. Typically 6-12 inches deep. Drain <1-2 days after a rain. Water and drought tolerant plants need little or no watering once established. More detailed information can be found on our Rain Garden page.

What is a Downspout Planter?

Downspout planters are decorative landscaped planter, which are designed to absorb and filter storm-water before it enters our local streams and sewer system. These planters have an empty area below the top section that holds a layer of soil, and topped by native perennial vegetation that comes back each year. You can think of downspout planters as a mix between a rain garden and a rain barrel.

What is a Rain Barrel?

A rain barrel is a system that collects and stores rainwater from your roof and is attached to a gutter downspout. Most rain barrels are comprised of a 55-gallon drum in which rain is collected from a downspout through a screened opening at the top which keeps debris and insects out. This water can then be used to water your lawn or garden in-between rain storms. Saving water with rain barrels helps to save you money while helping prevent pollution of our communities’ creeks and streams.

Who Are We?  With the assistance of Haverford Township and the Hav-a-Rain Garden program, this Darby Creek Valley Association project funded by a PA Department of Environmental Protection Growing Greener Grant will research the beneficial effects of rain gardens to mitigate flooding and pollution from stormwater runoff.