Worcester County has released a new publication titled Rain Gardens in Maryland’s Coastal Plain.

Rain gardens, are depressions in the ground that are strategically placed to capture runoff from impervious surfaces like rooftops, driveways, sidewalks, and even lawns. A strategically placed rain garden can intercept the runoff, allow the water to infiltrate into the soil, and filter out pollutants like oils, fertilizers, and pesticides before entering the bays.

The brochure suggests ideas regarding the construction and plant selection for a rain garden that will maximize the effect on water runoff from properties in Maryland’s coastal plains. The publication is available for free at the Worcester County Department of Comprehensive Planning office in Snow Hill, MD. An electronic version is available online.

The Lower Shore Land Trust is holding their 1st Annual Native Plant Sale at the Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art in Salisbury on Saturday, May 10th from 9:00-12:00. According to the LSLT:

Gardening with native plants provides food for wildlife, benefits the environment and looks great!

The native plants included in the sale offer garden options for areas of dry shade and butterfly gardens as well as plants that grow well in the full sun of a Delmarva summer. Native plants create a habitat for wildlife, are adapted to the local climate, and require less water than non-native species.

In conjunction with the plant sale, the Ward Museum will be offering a Paint-a-Pot activity for children from 10:00 AM to noon. Pots can be decorated for a fee of $2 to $5 which includes soil and seeds. The Ward Museum is also offering free admission to the museum with the purchase of a native plant from the LSLT sale.