I went to the site and re-measured everything and made a few changes. Next I completed the grid sheet drawing.

I have to decided to use the Michigan Science Center (Downton Detroit) as my project. There is an existing rain garden at the site that has been neglected. Carole (person in charge of the project at the center) stated that they have obtained a grant to have it redone. I understand that the basin is not deep enough and has to be redone. Carole is looking for help with plants and suggestions. Rain water from the parking lot will be used. The shape of the site is a crescent moon. The approximate measurements are; width: 180 feet, length: 1,500 feet. It was raining the day I visited.

(MRG Days 4/5) Here's the final layout we decided on. There was some compromise on using familiar/easily-accessible plants, namely the catnip. The overall goal with the layout is to give the best view to the house (to the west/left, see site map in previous post). The plants are generally arranged short-to-tall so that everything is visible from the house (and dry-to-wet to account for the site moisture). Water conveyance is shown in posts 2 & 3, all overland from roof -> ground -> across lane -> rain garden/turf. We're intentionally not filling the entire space for 2 reasons: 1. We want to see how much this garden helps with the wetness in this area and how the wetness affects the plants. This isn't the only garden on the property - if this addresses the standing water, then expanding it will be lower priority. 2. We want to let the plants mature and fill in the area naturally-ish and adding plants from other gardens.

Eastern Prickly Pear (Opuntia humifusa) is native along the coast from Florida to Cape Cod. Yes, perfectly hardy in the HUMID and WET East. I don't think there is any other true cacti that can tolerant both the cold and the humid/wet. Yes, I have them in NJ, Zone 7a/b. I like the yellow flowers in the Spring, just be warned, they do spread, and have both long thorns and those even worse, nasty tiny things that freely lodge into body parts. The ones below are in a pot, as I started to remove those spreading into the lawn. I do have lots of deer, and they are most definitely deer proof!