I'm not complaining but it seems like we have had more than our share of the wet and cool this spring. So, if life gives you water, make a rain garden.

Wanting to know more about rain gardens, I searched and found the right person, practically in my own backyard. David Husemoller, the owner of EarthWild Gardens of Prairie Crossing in Grayslake, shared information with me. He knows a lot about native planting and actually practices what he preaches.

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Red Cardinal Flowers will attract hummingbirds.
Wiseacre Garden

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Monarch butterflies are drawn to this native Swamp Milkweed.
David Husemoller / Earthwild Gardens

He started to build his rain garden a few years ago in a naturally low area. With a little digging, this became a pond. He chose water-loving plants such as sedges, Blue Flag Iris, Cardinal Flower and others, placing them around the banks of the pond. The butterflies and frogs found it to be a perfect spot, as well. The frogs, in turn, attracted his two sons and their friends. A little water attracts a lot of wildlife!

Later on, a creek was added with a pump to recirculate the water from the upper pond to the lower pond--adding oxygen and keeping the water moving and clean from algae.

The next phase is to connect a small irrigation system that will water the vegetable garden. He has designed a complete system that holds onto and redirects the water runoff for his family's special uses.

Husemoller advises gardeners who want to create their own rain garden to "keep it simple and just do what makes sense for your own particular needs." Plus, playing with water is always fun!

In the spring and fall, EarthWild Gardens sells native flowers, grasses, trees and shrubs that are suitable for sustainable Midwest gardens. David offers consultation services and offers presentations for groups, too.

Try some of these native, water-friendly plants in your rain garden.

Blue Flag Iris (Iris virginica shrevei) Grows 2 to 3 feet tall; violet-blue flowers with sword-shaped leaves; blooms from May-July.

Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis) Grows from 2 to 5 feet tall; brilliant scarlet-colored flowers. Requires moist but not saturated soil and won't tolerate dry conditions for a long time; blooms from July-September.

Obedient Plant (Physotegia virginiana) Grows from 3 to 5 feet tall; pink flowers; blooms August and September.

Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) Grows from 3 to 5 feet tall; clusters of small rose-purple flowers sit on top of branching stems; a larval host plant and a nectar source for Monarch butterflies; blooms from June-August