We just got done re-doing a small boulevard garden into a larger rain garden, which is meant to collect the rainwater coming off of our hill. We are on a corner so this is just the beggining.

John dug the plants we had there out, kept some and gave away others. We had lots of ribbon grass to give away. He dug the garden lower than the sidewalk and added a berm using the extra soil firmed down. It has been keeping the water from running off for the last week. We are moving in natives from our garden and will trade for and buy more. It is a simple form of a rain garden.

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maybe lambs ears

Check out this site:

http://www.greeninstitute.org/gspraingardens.html

I heard about Maplewood installing these around the city with volunteer yards and it really helped the runoff.

I also recently called the Master Gardener line about ereosion controal for a hill in my back yard, as expected they suggested Native plants. Like wild violet in the shade, and liatris in the sun, etc...

Holly

Holly, it all depends who you get on the phone. Lots of my fellow MGs much prefer hybrids to natives. I hope you got some ideas that you found useful.