Rain Garden Details. Create the rain garden by building a berm in a low spot in the yard, then build swales to channel runoff from the gutters and higher parts of the yard.

Swales typically are wider than they are deep, slanting from one end to the otherfor drainage flow. Hermés' varies from 11-20 inches deep and 34-54 inches wide. As in nature, her man-made creek ...

The dirt he dug up for the swale was used to build up basin berms around existing trees. Some other tips from the experts: • Whenever you put in a new plant, put it in a below-ground basin.

The roots from those trees have destroyed the concrete swale, lifting, breaking and crumbling sections, which are now falling into a public creek. I've had an estimate of $12,000 to repair the damage.