Downspout planters: attractive and functional
By Terasa M. Lott
Water Resources Agent
Clemson Cooperative Extension, Clemson University
Container gardening has become quite popular due to its ease and versatility. Traditionally used for ornamental plants, today’s containers are also used for herbs, vegetable crops, and even as a stormwater management tool.
While rain is generally seen as a positive thing, the resulting runoff in urban areas is a major source of water pollution. Water flows across impervious surfaces such as rooftops, driveways, sidewalks, and parking lots and is channeled into storm drains. These drains carry the water and anything in its path (think motor oil, bacteria, sediment, trash, etc.) directly to a stream, river, or other body of water.
Rain gardens, which capture stormwater runoff, are an attractive way to protect water quality but may not be useful in highly developed areas due to a lack of usable land. So how about a rain garden in a container? A downspout planter is essentially that. It is a container filled with special soil media to absorb and filter stormwater before it reaches local waterways.
What’s even better is that downspout planters are more than just a stormwater management tool. Just as containers can be used as accents, downspout planters can be a decorative addition to the urban landscape. They can be constructed in many sizes and shapes with various materials allowing them to either blend in with the local design aesthetic or stand out as a focal piece.
But wait, there’s more. Plants selected for use in downspout planters can also support pollinators, which is an area of growing concern. Native plants such as purple coneflower and obedient plant offer nectar to butterflies and hummingbirds while common yarrow and coreopsis are recognized for having special value to native bees and attract predatory insects (aka “good” bugs).
You can now see downspout in three Florence locations: behind 131 North Dargan Street, behind 150 West Evans Street, and at 518 South Irby Street.
Downspout planters along with other small-scale stormwater best management practices such as rain barrels, shoreline plantings, and pet waste stations will soon be available for businesses, places of worship, and neighborhoods through a community grants program. Stay tuned for more information.
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