The Rhyne Garden

The Rhyne Garden. . , A Model for Stormwater Management , You are viewing the Delaware Botanic Gardens "Rhyne Garden," designed in the likeness of the original Delaware system of drainage conveyances and named for the Welsh "rhewyn," a canal whose function was to drain sea level wetlands into agriculture and pasture land. True to form, the Rhyne is historically structured, yet relevant today, as it captures and directs stormwater from the parking area toward drainage basins along the Piney Neck street frontage., DBG staff and volunteers planted over 12,000 beautiful native perennials, shrubs and trees suited for intermittently wet habitats. In the spring and summer, vibrant plant communities animated with garden pollinators greet you upon arrival at the Gardens. Functionally, the trees in the canopy, the shrubs in the buffer, and the native perennials along the slopes of the Rhyne slow the flow of stormwater, while the roots below process surface pollutants from the parking area runoff. The beneficiary: our community, because this green technology structure reduces flooding and improves our ground water quality., The Rhyne Garden exemplifies all that Delaware Botanic Gardens strives for in their mission: inspiration, environmental sustainability, and a model for conservation education.