Stormwater Bioswales and Rain Gardens

Stormwater rules push commercial and community properties to manage runoff on site, and the old answer, a concrete pipe and a pond, is not always the best one. Bioswales and rain gardens are planted depressions designed to capture runoff, let it soak into the ground and filter pollutants through soil and roots. They reduce flooding, protect streams and ponds and can count toward stormwater requirements, all while adding greenery to places that would otherwise be bare turf or pavement. In Nashville, where heavy downpours are routine, these features are increasingly used on offices, campuses and communities.

We install and maintain bioswales and rain gardens as functional landscape features. Design starts with the drainage area and soil percolation, then sets depth, bottom width, side slopes and inlet and overflow details. Soil mixes are specified for infiltration, and plants are selected for their ability to handle wet and dry cycles, with native sedges, rushes, grasses and perennials. Mulch or stone protects soil, and we plant densely to shade out weeds. Because plants do the work, maintenance matters in the first years, with watering, weeding and inlet cleaning, and we provide plans and service to keep the feature performing.

Captures and cleans runoff

Planted depressions slow water and filter it through soil and roots.

Designed for infiltration

Soil mixes, depths and overflows are set for how fast the site drains.

Plants that handle extremes

Native species survive both wet and dry cycles with little inputs.

Care plan built in

First-years care keeps the feature healthy and the inlets clear.

What is included

• Drainage area and soil review
• Design for depth, inlet and overflow
• Excavation and soil mix installation
• Native plant installation and mulch
• Establishment watering and weeding
• Long-term care plan