Submission Date

7-21-2023

Document Type

Paper- Restricted to Campus Access

Department

Environmental Studies

Faculty Mentor

Kate Keppen

Comments

Presented during the 25th Annual Summer Fellows Symposium, July 21, 2023 at Ursinus College.

Project Description

Gardens, while serving an aesthetic purpose, also have practical and ecological importance. They provide food and habitat for local pollinators and wildlife, and, in the case of the rain garden, perform the important task of stormwater sequestration. If you imagine a garden, you may think of mulched beds with perfectly lush (but not overgrown) plants with green leaves and pretty flowers. That garden takes hours of work every day, mulching, weeding, pruning, and planting. Gardens, despite their beautiful appearance, take lots of “dirty work” to maintain. Many people think that once a garden is planted it will take care of itself and our job is done, however, gardens take constant care and maintenance with different kinds of gardens needing different kinds of care. For example, lawn care and vegetable gardening practices are different than what is needed for rain garden management. The focus of my project is to study the initial success and challenges of the newly established rain garden and then to create a maintenance guide to help Ursinus College and future students understand the needs of the rain garden, as well as the steps that were necessary for its creation.

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