Jakes Branch Rain Garden

What is a Rain Garden?

Did you know your garden can be attractive, as well as functional? If your yard is surrounded by paved, hard or impervious surfaces, a rain garden can serve to capture stormwater runoff and help to filter water into the soil. For more details on the benefits of a rain garden, visit the Rutgers University Rain Garden Information Center webpage.

Click on the map below to see a selection of native plants that can be used to create your own rain garden. Visit the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service PLANTS database to view images and learn more about each plant.

Click on the image above to download a PDF version of this map of the Rain Garden on display at Jakes Branch County Park.

Download these resources below to learn more about the benefits of native plants, and the sun, water and soil conditions Barnegat Bay Watershed (Ocean County) natives prefer:

Going Native: Landscaping with Native Plants in the Barnegat Bay Watershed

“Bayscape for Barnegat Bay”

An overhead view of the demonstration Rain Garden at Jakes Branch. From this angle, you can see how the garden was placed to capture the Nature Center’s stormwater runoff.	Rain Garden in Bloom, October 2014.	Seaside Goldenrod is often mistaken for Ragweed.

Rain Barrels

Rain Barrels are another way to prevent rainwater from becoming stormwater runoff. By capturing water and holding it for later irrigation needs, Rainfall collection barrels are a sustainable watering practices that conserves water, protects water quality, and helps to keep soil and landscapes healthy. Rain barrels are an important part of the onsite water management at Jakes Branch.

To learn more about how you can make a rain barrel and implement sustainable watering practices in your yard, download the Rutgers Cooperative Extension Fact sheets on Building Rain Barrels.