Virtual Tour of the 2003
Dane County Better Lawns and Gutters Tour

Descriptions of the gardens are from the 2003 Tour Brochure [PDF 336KB], 7 pages. The numbers for the gardens listed here match those in the brochure.

Click on the images for enlargements.

#1 - Piper Drive

Established in 1999, this 180-square-foot garden traps over 8,000 gallons of water each year due to its high infiltration rates and careful design. The owner, Roger Bannerman of the DNR, offers a couple of tips in sizing your garden: make it 20-30 percent of the roof area, or if you have sandy soils, drop to 10 or 15 percent of the roof area. Roger did the planting, but recommends a professional designer for plant selection and placement.

Rain garden on Piper Drive

Rain garden on Piper Drive

Rain garden on Piper Drive

Rain garden on Piper Drive

[Very shallow swales are indented into the lawn to direct the water from the downspout into the rain gardens. Red lines were added to the photo to emphasize the swales.]

 

Some Other Gardens from the Tour:

#2 - Edgewood College

#12 - Woodside Terrace

#14 - Emerson Street

#15 - Waban Hill

#16 - South Shore Drive

#18 - Piper Drive

Contact Information

For more information about this page, please contact: Terry Lohr
608-267-2375
Last Revised: Monday March 30 2009