Managing Gardens After Heavy Rains
Water is the lifeblood of every garden. In balance, it hydrates roots, awakens seeds, and keeps soil ecosystems thriving. But when rain comes in torrents, that balance tips: roots can suffocate, soil compacts, puddles linger, and sometimes entire beds are underwater. What was once nourishment can quickly turn into stress. Gardeners’ roles shift from planting and harvesting to guiding, redirecting, and storing water so it benefits plants, wildlife, and soil rather than overwhelming them.
Heavy rains are more than just a nuisance — they are a lesson in observing your landscape. In northern suburban areas, impervious surfaces like driveways, sidewalks, and compacted lawn soils can amplify puddling and runoff. Observing where water naturally pools gives clues about where to intervene, which plants to choose, and where to create rain gardens or swales.
Tools to Understand What Your Garden Is Experiencing
Before you dive into planting or redesigning beds, it helps to see what your garden is experiencing. These tools and tips give you real-world data and backyard observations to guide decisions:
Rainfall & Weather Data: NOAA Climate Data Online shows historical and real-time rainfall info.
Local Guidance: Watershed districts and conservation organizations often provide small-scale rain garden and stormwater management guides.
Observation Tip: Note where water lingers longest. These areas indicate where plants or wildlife habitat might struggle, or where flood-tolerant species could thrive.
Flood-Tolerant Herbs and Plants
Certain herbs and perennials are well-suited for wetter soils and can turn excess water into opportunity. They thrive in moist conditions while supporting pollinators, birds, and small mammals navigating northern suburban gardens.
Mint (Mentha spp.): Thrives in damp soil, spreads quickly, provides forage for pollinators and cover for small animals.
Comfrey (Symphytum officinale): Deep roots improve soil structure; leaves make excellent mulch or compost tea.
Horseradish (Armoracia rusticana): Perennial, tolerates soggy soil, produces edible roots.
Nettle (Urtica dioica): Moisture-loving perennial, nitrogen-rich, attracts butterflies, and provides shelter for small animals.
Burdock (Arctium spp.): Deep taproots break compacted soils, seeds feed birds, large leaves shelter insects.
Sinking and Storing Water: Making Rain Work for You
Heavy rains don’t have to be wasted — they’re an opportunity to store and sink water for later. Planting in rain gardens, swales, or depressions allows water to soak slowly into the soil, nourishing deep roots and recharging your garden’s micro-ecosystem. Meanwhile, rain barrels or cisterns capture roof runoff for later use, giving you a supply of free water for drier spells. By thinking of rain as both a gift and a resource, you can reduce runoff, prevent erosion, and extend the benefits of each storm well beyond the moment it falls, keeping your plants, pollinators, and wildlife supported throughout the season.
Managing Airflow and Weeding
When gardens are wet or humid for extended periods, weeds can quickly take advantage of the extra moisture and crowd out your desirable plants. Dense foliage and tangled weeds block airflow at the soil and canopy level, creating pockets of dampness where fungal diseases and rot can thrive. Regularly weeding and gently thinning crowded areas helps improve air circulation, dries soil and leaves faster, and reduces the risk of mold or mildew on both vegetables and herbs. Think of it as giving your plants room to breathe — every cleared path allows sunlight, wind, and pollinators to move freely, supporting healthier growth and a more resilient garden ecosystem.
Other Flood-Tolerant Plant Helpers
Rain Garden Natives (Coneflowers, Black-Eyed Susans, Sedges): Thrive in wet soils, provide nectar and seeds for pollinators and birds.
Cover Crops (Clover, Rye, Buckwheat): Absorb excess water, prevent erosion, and attract beneficial insects.
Swales and Contour Beds: Shallow ditches or berms slow runoff, reduce erosion, and create microhabitats for frogs, toads, and ground-nesting birds.
Raised Beds with Compost-Rich Soil: Improve drainage while providing refuge for roots and soil life.
Mulch and Groundcovers: Protect soil from compaction, shelter worms and insects, and help water infiltrate evenly.
Supporting Wildlife and Ecosystem Health
Excess water doesn’t have to be a problem — it can become an opportunity to enrich the ecosystem. Flood-tolerant herbs and perennials provide cover for small mammals, habitat for amphibians like frogs and toads, and forage for pollinators. Swales and rain gardens create microhabitats that mimic natural wetlands, while raised beds and mulch help keep soil organisms thriving. Your garden becomes a living system that buffers extreme weather, supports biodiversity, and continues producing food and habitat even in wet seasons.
Some Tips for Observing Your Garden
After a heavy rain, put on your boots and walk your garden slowly. Notice where water pools, where it drains, and which plants are thriving. Flood-tolerant herbs like mint, nettle, burdock, and comfrey can help you turn soggy areas into productive habitat, supporting pollinators, birds, and small mammals. By observing, adapting, and layering plants thoughtfully, your garden can transform heavy rains from a challenge into an opportunity for resilience, abundance, and ecosystem health.
Keep Going, Even When the Season Challenges You
It’s been a long season of unpredictable weather, heavy rains, and smoky skies, and in a short northern growing season, it can be discouraging when yields don’t match your hopes. Remember that every observation, every adjustment, and every resilient plant you’ve nurtured is a step toward a healthier, more adaptive garden. Even small successes — a handful of thriving herbs, a few happy pollinators, or a patch of cleared, well-drained soil — are proof that your garden is learning and growing alongside you. Take heart: gardens are resilient, just like gardeners. Each season teaches patience, creativity, and the quiet joy of witnessing life persist, even in challenging conditions.