I had this plan to make a rain garden behind my garage as it is an area where I don't know what else to do, I have gutters on the garage which currently point into my neighbor's yard and I want a rain garden. There's also a hole in the wall for overflow drainage at the lefthand front edge of the blue square. However I forgot the first rule, make it 10ft or further from a building :( I also have slow-draining clay soil that complicates things.

I know I have plenty of other room here, but we recently outlined the areas for other gardening (there's a raised bed area whrere the dirt patch in the middle is and footing along the back wall) I feel like I'm in over my head because there's so much area to garden.

I wanted to intsall this fall because I have a party planned next year and I want to get moving on stuff like this - what would be your advice? Just plant natives behind the garage? Do a raingarden elsewhere? Any advice appreciated.

Measurements - (excuse the crude drawing)