Water and Stone, Dry Riverbed Garden
Traditional Garden, Chicago
Photo by Falon Mihalic
A dry riverbed/ rock swale carries water from the home's downspout around a shade garden to infiltrate in the lawn. Plants include Ostrich Fern, Sensitive Fern, Carex 'evergold', Native Bottlebrush Buckeye, Astilbe, Anemone, Virginia Bluebells, Japanese Painted Fern, Lysimachia nummularia 'Aurea', Woodland Phlox, and Jack Frost Brunnera. Several types of stone were used to create the rock swale: Smooth Blue Mexican Pebble Beach Stone, Granite and Quartz Boulders.
Riverbed construction