Riverside Rain Garden

 

The Riverside Rain Garden was planted in order to enhance the park's natural resources while also preserving its historic features. Riverside Park has a network of stone and brick runnels that were overgrown and hidden for decades but have recently begun to be exposed to view. Apparently installed to route stormwater from the park to the Thames River, the runnels now end in a rain garden which allows the water to be absorbed on-site. The rain garden will also serve as a demonstration garden for use by the Winthrop STEM Elementary School students.

The Rain Garden was designed by Perennial Harmony Nursery and installed in August 2013, transforming an area choked with weeds and poison ivy into an oasis of native water-loving plants. Locating and clearing all the remaining channels will be a goal of future clean-up efforts in the park.