post and photos by Donna Short, Chapter member and volunteer
South Grand Native Rain Gardens
Attendance:
Wed 7/13 – 43
Sat 7/16 – 22
Our tour guides: Cody Hayo, Rachel Witt & Angie Weber
Your first instinct is to admire the flower beds along South Grand and then you discover they are more than a pretty face! These are rain gardens designed to handle stormwater runoff from roofs, driveways and other non-permeable surfaces. The six-block area from Arsenal Street to Utah Street is a flourishing business district that was previously plagued by flooding. Originally, the problem was addressed with cultivars but they couldn’t do the job! The cultivars were replaced with native Missouri plants, adapted to living in both wet and dry conditions, along with permeable pavement and this solved the problem of flooding.
Here is one of the twelve rain gardens that was designed to handle the flooding issue. Stormwater accumulates in the upper area and overflows to the lower area (separated by the concrete barrier).
Cody explained how it’s a challenge to manage the mix of plants when a species begins to take over! In this case it was the Obedient plant (Physostegia angustifolia). Also, new plants are introduced to increase diversity. The mix of plants in this rain garden includes Palm Sedge (Carex muskingumensis), Shining Blue Star (Amsonia illustris) and Gray-Headed Coneflower (Ratbida pinnata).
Across the street, another rain garden contains Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) and Gray-Headed Coneflower (Ratbida pinnata). The area has an irrigation system which is used to ensure the beds provide an attractive appearance.
Continuing our stroll along South Grand, we see more Gray-Headed Coneflowers (Ratbida pinnata) and Purple Coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea).
In addition, the rain gardens mainly feature Southern Blue Flag (Iris virginica) and Sweet Coneflower (Rudbeckia subtomentosa). The other garden beds include Slender Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum tenuifolium), Purple Prairie Clover (Dalea purpurea), Sideoats Grama (Bouteloua curtipendula), Prairie Dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis) In a few places you can find Soft Rush (Juncus effusus). There are a few other plants that are included in lesser quantities.
The gardens are primarily maintained by Pretty City Gardens & Landscapes with assistance from a group of dedicated volunteers, the EcoCrew.
Specific trees were recommended by the Missouri Department of Conservation and they are surrounded by beds of attractive grasses such as Prairie Dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis) mixed with Variegated Liriope (Liriope muscari ‘Variegata’). The Liriope is a cultivar of a non-native species and is one of the few non-native plants that can be found on South Grand.
Ritz Park, a pocket park along Grand, was created for community meetings, events, concerts, and movies. This was the location of the Ritz, a neighborhood theater, demolished in the 80s.
The south wall of the park contains a collection of plants and vines such as Dutchman’s Pipe-vine (Aristolochia tomentosa), Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) and Trumpet Creeper (Campus radicans).
Throughout the streetscape there are various informational signs (see below) explaining what a watershed is along with the benefits of native plants and rain gardens.
It was a great experience to see how native plants can enhance a city street, play a critical role in flood control and provide a pollinator-friendly environment.
Thanks to Rachel Witt, Executive Director of the South Grand Community Improvement District and Cody Hayo, Owner of Pretty City Gardens & Landscapes for their in-depth explanations and enthusiasm for the project!
Angie Weber joined the Wednesday gathering.
She helped develop the native plant list for the rain gardens when it was originally in the design stage – 10 years ago and designed the educational signs (examples above). Currently, she is the Volunteer Coordinator for the EcoCrew which originated in 2018. This volunteer group maintains the native landscape in the Hartford Street parking lot and Ritz Park. Several times a year, they help Pretty City with the beds along the street.
