Rain Garden What is a Rain Garden? A "Rain Garden" is simply a shallow depression in your yard that's planted with native wetland or wet prairie wildflowers and grasses. The Rain Garden is one of the most popular new perennial garden designs for three reasons: 1. Rain Gardens make good use of rainwater runoff, thus conserving precious water supplies and helping protect the water qualifty of downstream lakes and rivers. 2. Rain Gardens are planted with native wetland and prairie wildflowers and grasses. These perennial plants naturally grew here when the first pioneers rolled across our land - so they're hardy and low-maintenance, not to mention beautiful! 3. Rain Gardens provide food and shelter for many interesting birds, butterflies and beneficial insects - such as dragonflies, which eat mosquitoes! - and they'll provide you with many hours of enjoyable bird and butterfly watching.