It may not have been one long uninterrupted hot summer for humans in Ireland but for the young trees in our nursery at The Digital Hub there have been quite a few scorchio moments. The lifesaver has been the rain butt taking water from the downpipe from one of the adjoining buildings. Three small roofs drain into the big green tank, making the most of our summer downpour-drought cycle.
Our big butt is a thing of beauty because it saves us the walk to an indoor tap. But its kerb appeal is probably not to everyone’s taste. So how can you make rain harvesting beautiful? This is where the team at Bí Urban come in.
The Stoneybatter-based eco crew have been installing rain gardens in 10 Dublin homes in a pilot project, Stoneybatter Rain Garden Pilot. The rain gardens have the potential to take pressure off storm drains, slowing down the surges that flush more pollution into our waterways. They can also (because why do one thing when you can do many?) provide habitat for pollinators, reconnect urban dwellers to nature and create gardening amenities.
None of it is complicated or expensive, and there are many resources online to help you design your own rain garden
Kaethe Burt O’Dea and her daughter Sadhbh have put together a range of resources for anyone who wants to build their own rain garden. A large water-tight container is the first requirement, and a rectangular shape can suit smaller courtyard gardens. Like a rain butt, the container takes rain from a downpipe, but unlike a tank it never needs emptying. An overflow pipe is installed so the water-tight container never gets waterlogged.
None of it is complicated or expensive, and there are many resources online to help you design your own rain garden, says Kaethe. If you have the space you can dig out a shallow well and sink a rain garden into a lawn and then ditch the mower. The US Environmental Protection Agency has made rain gardens part of its drive to cut the pollution that comes with increasingly violent storms. As rain lashes down on hard surfaces in cities and towns, the floods pick up pollutants, pathogens, synthetic fertilisers and other urban nasties, all of which are then washed into rivers, lakes and the sea.
Bí Urban's rain garden pilot is funded by the Local Authorities Water Programme. They want to install and measure the effectiveness of this simple and beautiful idea and then it's a no-brainer to design it into downpipes of the future. And they have great advice on what you can plant in your rain garden to provide pollinator habitat, making it a multifunctional home accessory. If you fancy designing your own rain garden, they'd love to see it. The best design will win a prize in their competition.
Catherine Cleary is co-founder of Pocket Forests