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Introduction
Urban areas, roads, pathways, houses and buildings, are made to be hard
impervious surfaces. Man-made materials that keep us dry (and thereforehealthy), help us to get around and make a living.
Usually there would be no complaints about this understandably we seem to
need urban areas, streets, motorways, suburbs, cities etc... we can walk (or
drive) to the nearest park, woods or beach for relief from built up areas and
relax, safe in knowledge that there will always be a place to go to get out of our
seemingly unnatural environment that we have built for ourselves.
So why change it?
Firstly it can be said that we could improve our mental health or state of mind ifour living space was greened up also issues surrounding better access to fresh
air would do our physical bodies a lot of good. Maybe we could even get
something to eat on the way to work if there were more fruit trees in the less
polluted areas.
But there is another big reason why we should be turning more of our hard
landscapes into greener areas and that is rain. The most complained about type
of weather.
Rain. The most sought after weather in places where people have to wait for a
rainy season to be able to eat, is in all seasons year round in Western Europe,especially in the u.k and the republic of Ireland. Many people in the poorer
countries survive on less than 10 litres a day whilst in the u.k and Ireland almost
that amount is used when we flush the toilet.
Heavy rain can cause big problems and has done in the u.k and Ireland. Floods
are becoming more and more frequent in these islands and the ever expanding
towns and cities are a big factor in this.
There are two main reasons for this, one is climate change the other is the loss
of natural ecosystems due to agriculture and urbanisation.
Climate change in the west is predicted to affect us with more rain.
The 2007 report from the intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC)
suggests that in the future extreme rainfall is likely to increase in winter but
even more daunting is the prospect that predictions for summer rainfall are
uncertain
Urbanisation brought with it the urban drainage system and this was an
improvement on having none at all until quite recently with regards to some
places in Ireland and the u.k. The subject matter in this project will be storm
water runoff in urban areas although it takes place everywhere agriculture playsa big part in the pollution of rivers and the speeding up of storm water run off in
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that drains are placed to get rid of water straight in to the nearest down hill
slope or river. This project will only touch on this a little.
Traditional urban drainage problems
In developed areas such as housing estates and car parks, the surface of the
ground is levelled, paved and impervious as was previously said. Traditional
drainage systems are designed to take water from the area in which the rain fell
and dispose of it into a bigger body of water such as a river, lake or the sea as
fast as possible. This approach has a number of harmful and potentially harmful
effects;
1. If the final outlet pipe gets covered by the river, sea etc... In heavy rains
when the river is high (especially when due to storm water flowing into the
river or lake from further up river) the pipe will `back up causing a
flooded street and lots of tax payers money down the drain to solve the
problem.
2. This method causes flooding downstream and sudden rises in flow rates
and water levels in water courses.
3. Surface water runoff can contain contaminants such as oil, organic matter,
and toxic chemicals. Also farm pollution which can contain high levels of
nitrogen and phosphorus which creates algal blooms. It can contain
further human waste if the illegal operation of connecting sewerage pipesto drainage pipes. Agricultural run-off is the main reason for increasing
B.O.D (biological oxygen demand) in rivers and streams etc put simply
bacteria feed on the nutrients washed into the river such as nitrogen, this
is a natural process until there is too much nutrient content in the river or
lake. The result is that the bacteria also need oxygen and the more
bacteria in the water the less oxygen for other life forms. This creates a
deficit of oxygen in the stream and is known as the biological oxygen
demand.
Cumulatively resulting in poor quality water in rivers streams and lakes
affecting biodiversity and amenity value. Farmers are, or should be,encouraged to have a ten metre buffer zone between the farm and the
river to let plants such as gorse, willow, and river edge species do the
work of slowing down the flow of runoff and taking a lot of nutrients out of
the soil/water to prevent this from happening.
4. By diverting rainfall to piped systems water is stopped from soaking into
the ground, depleting groundwater and reducing flow in dry weather.
5. Many urban watercourses are lifeless and unattractive, often hidden in
culverts under the ground.
6. Groundwater is naturally cooler than surface water especially in cities
where it can be an extra degree or two warmer than other places in hotweather as there is a lot of thermal mass. Walls of high rise buildings and
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heavily built up areas take in the heat easily and release the heat of the
sun which is effectively stored up in concrete (ever put your hand on a
wall on a hot day?). Walled gardens for example can have their own
unique micro-climate especially when protected from the wind; this is
great for gardeners who want to grow more delicate fruit and vegetables.
Surface water becomes warmer through this process when it rains at alltimes of the year, and if it gets into the natural groundwater it can change
the temperature quite quickly. Micro organisms and other life forms such
as fish found in rivers cannot tolerate these rapid changes in heat as it is
not their natural habitat. Warmer water cannot hold as much dissolved
oxygen and so effects B.O.D.
Soil moisture deficit or SMD
Soil moisture deficit or SMD can be used to show how much moisture the ground,
in any given place, can take before it becomes saturated and subsequently
becomes run-off.
Extra storm water runoff leads to lowland or flatland areas becoming flooded
especially as towns and cities are:
A) Normally located in a lowland (compared to the surrounding terrain) or
flood plain on a river or by the sea.
B) Built up and impermeable spaces that could possibly hold water if they
were designed to (which they are not).C) Two systems are connected as was said before. If the river, for example,
runs high then it has much less holding capacity and backs up along the
pipes into the street but every other place along the waters route comes
into the town or city not just its own.
This is a graph of SMD
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Flash flooding occurs when rain fall too quickly to be absorbed by the ground or
drainage system. The runoff rapidly flows down hill and collects in lowland areas.
In a flash flood, drainage, and sewerage systems, at best designed to take a
30year storm, are overwhelmed causing flooding in vulnerable areas.
IN IRELAND
The two sets of facts chosen for this part of the introduction are not meant to be
proof of climate change as many scientists, politicians , ecologists and so on
have already proven this to be a real and significant prospect.
Instead this section is to show two extremities in weather in two different
summers in Ireland.
This is also partly to show that rain is an important and free resources that we
can use instead of letting it go down the drain. There will more along the samelines later for the main point of the project.
The summer of 2006
Ireland was affected by a heat-wave from the start of June and continued until
the end of July. Temperatures were well above average for both months. The
highest level in June was 27 degrees centigrade (80.6 degrees F) at Derrylin
county Fermanagh (NI) on the 8th June. In Kilkenny, Co Kilkenny, there were 39
consecutive days in July with temperatures over 20 degrees C and 9 of thosedays had over 25 degrees C.
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In natural systems some water soaks into the ground and seeps through soil and
rocks this is known as groundwater and it may return to the surface in lakes
streams or rivers. Some groundwater is known as fossil water since it has been
underground for hundreds of thousands of years and would take the same
amount of time to be replenished if it were abstracted.
The vast majority of water is in the sea this can be at any one time 97 percent of
the total water on earth. Although there are ways of turning this water into fresh
water it is an energy intensive process. At a time when we should be weaning
ourselves off of finite and gradually more expensive fossil fuels this is not really
an option (refer to Power down by Richard Heinberg).
This table shows how much available water there is to use in a growing
population.
Table 0.1 distribution of water on the planet.
Public health guidelines U.K recommend drinking 2 3 litres of drinking water
per day but this can vary with age, food intake, temperature and the amount of
exercise undertaken throughout the day.
Development agencies regard 5 litres per person per day (PPPD) as the minimum
for cooking and drinking, rising to 15 litres if used for bathing and clothes
washing. If water borne sanitation is required then the figure reaches to 50 litres
PPPD.
Here are two tables giving the average measurement of water used in everyday
usage for the U.K.
Many people in the world exist on 10 litres of water per day or less we can use
almost that amount in one flush of the toilet
(water-john Clift and Amanda Cuthbert)
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Given the limited amount of fresh water for us to use and the amount it costs to
purify dirty water. The hypothetical question springs to mind why waste or
pollute all that lovely clean, free water that seemingly just falls out of the sky?
Furthermore we damage our waterways and use more of it than ever before.
Mains t ap water.
Mains Tap water will have been through a number of processes to make it safe
to drink. These will include: filtering, removing colour, and disinfection against
pathogens (harmful bacteria). All of these processes have a negative impact on
the natural environment and reducing water use will help to minimise the
effects. During the summer there is generally less water available, water
companies are forced to use much dirtier water that requires more intensive
cleaning (U.K)
The direct energy cost of purifying water and delivering door to door (aftermaking dirty in the first place) is the equivalent of 80kilos of co2 emissions per
house hold per year.
A lot of people in more remote areas may have a well, borehole, or even a
spring. Another choice would be the direct use of rainwater as a source this
would usually only be a supplement.
Springs
Spring water is an excellent source. It will be cleaner than surface water and
there may be no need to pump it. A structure is built around the spring sourcewhich is called a spring box this is a cross section of one:
The spring water enters the box by deliberate gaps in the block work, through a
gravel base or by a pipe buried in gravel behind the box. The box is for storage
and protects the water from contamination. Also a fenced area of around 4
metres is required to prevent access to animals. Alternatively the water can be
protected and captured by driving a pipe horizontally into the eye of the spring.
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This method is used to convert boggy patches in a field into useful water
supplies.
Wells and boreholes
Wells and boreholes have similar features but dimension a different. A well isdug at least a metre in diameter by hand or by a mechanical digger then lined
with concrete.
Boreholes are smaller in diameter (6 inches for domestic use) are excavated
using a drill then lined with steel or plastic tubes. Boreholes are likely to be more
economic and easier to build than a well.
Both wells and boreholes can be deep or shallow this does not really refer to how
deep they are, it depends on what level of aquifer they abstract from. Both are
illustrated in the diagram. Shallow wells and boreholes are more likely to dry up
from changes in the water level than deep ones.
Features of wells and boreholes diagram.
Rain water harvesting an d use
It is possible to meet all your demands for water use with rainwater harvesting if
your system is up to it and youre aware of how much water you use.
The simplest and cheapest method of harvesting is to install a water butt at the
bottom of each downpipe. This water would really only be suitable for the gardenand could be fed into drip lines to irrigate the garden this is about as far as
people usually go, as most people are supplied by mains water. Using rainwater
in the garden when there hasnt been rain for a while doesnt stress water
supplies so can be used when there is a hosepipe ban. Also rainwater doesnt
usually contain any chemicals and so is far healthier for plants. (Chlorine
destroys good and bad bacteria that may affect soil nutrients)
If a surplus amount of water is gained by harvesting you may want to use this
inside the house for flushing the toilet or washing clothes (especially if your
mains supply is hard water). You may be able to meet you demand for all of this(i.e. gardening, flushing the toilet, and washing your clothes) in the winter but
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If you intend on using a mains supply, rainwater, well, or borehole its always a
good idea to watch how much water being used.
7 tips
1. 20 litres of water can come out of a tap in a minute (depending on waterpressure) try not leaving the tap on when brushing teeth or washing hands
(turn it off when using the soap etc) you could easily be wasting 15,000
litres a year
2. Think before using the hot water tap. Waiting for water to run warm can
waste 10 litres of water. This cool water could be used for something else
like watering houseplants, filling the kettle, giving to the dog, washing the
floor etc
3. Use a washing up bowl instead of using the sink it only need half as much
water to fill
4. Wait for a full load before using the dishwasher or washing machine. The
half load or economy settings use at least 75% of the energy compared
with a full load. So its not half a load at all!
5. Dont cool foods under kitchen tap they can use up to 30 litres of water a
minute.
6. Not flushing the toilet after urinating may be acceptable in some circles,
but even better is using the good source of nitrogen on the garden.
7. There are many new and old appliances and gadgets on the market to
help reduce water use.
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Objective
The objective of this project is to demonstrate and talk about the use of
sustainable urban drainage systems known as S.U.D.S and to create designs for
elements of rain gardens which will be based in a few locations in Kinsale, county
cork. Identifying the right plants for the job is also part of this and research done
into native and non native plants for the right situations. Plants that can tolerate
periods of dry weather and flood will be of particular use.
S.U.D.S
Sustainable urban drainage systems are designed to mimic natural drainage
systems within the built up environment although the urban part of it is dropped
to make a wider spanning term that would include farmland. It provides
alternatives to storm water drains and the destruction of natural ecosystems that
involve water.
For this project, as was said before, the concentration is on urban sustainable
drainage systems although touching on useful ways to implement using water in
a sustainable way in gardens and farmland.
The aim with S.U.D.S is to slow storm water down using a number of techniques
such as source control, permeable paving, detention of storm water (rain butts or
balancing ponds), infiltration (soil based constructed wetlands, bio-retention) and
evaporation/transpiration (green roofs etc...), and much more. S.U.D.S is also
called BMP (best management practices) in other countries and Low Impact
Development in the United States.
Rain gardens
The name of rain garden can strictly be given to a particular type of techniqueused in S.U.D.S. A rain garden is a planted depression in the landscape by which
water is channelled into. Rainwater can then filtrate down into the ground
naturally by mimicking natural processes. The term is often used to describe, in
general, many of the processes used in S.U.D.S such as planted swales. The line
doesnt seem to be clear unless the term is taken in its literal sense. The name
of rain garden seems a lot more user friendly than S.U.D.S and in effect the work
can be carried out by unskilled home owners, farmers, and lay persons as well as
planners, builders, environmental consultants and councils. Native plants are
recommended for rain gardens for three main reasons. Native planted rain
gardens could be used as an educational site also:
1. They dont require any special treatment such as fertilisers
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2. Native plants have evolved to withstand the weather in the locality such
as type of water and temperature.
3. They may encourage more native flora and fauna elsewhere in the
landscape
Saying that, it can be hard to know what is native and non native especially if
the people creating the rain garden are not greatly knowledgeable and cant do
the research involved.
There are no strict rules to a rain garden except that it must be able to take the
amount of water it is expected to take.
In the book rain gardens by Nigel dunnet and Andy clayden it is written:
(but) so many of the so-called scientific arguments put forward about native
plants being better suited to a particular climate and place rather than non-native plants dont really stack up.
They go on to say:
Native species are typically seen as being inherently ecological, whereas exotic
species are not, unless considered in the context of the country they hail from, in
which case they immediately become ecological (hitchmough 2003)!
And:
Invasiveness has little to do with geographical origin, but instead related to
whether plants possess certain biological traits such as high seed production,
effective dispersal and low palatability to herbivores.
Some evidence of ecological surveys in the U.K is given as back up for these
comments and the book by J. Hitchmough. (Details given in bibliography.)
Rain gardens where originally created for residential use in Maryland (Prince
Georges county) when dick Brinker a developer, had the idea to replace the
traditional BMP (best management practices with a bio retention area. He
contacted the programs and planning department (environmental resources
division) and told them what he planned to do. The result was the use ofraingardens in the housing estate, Somerset, which had a 300-400 rain garden
on each of the houses property.
This system saved him nearly $400,000 which would have been the cost of
building curbs, walkways, and gutters. The planted drainage swales cost
$100,000 to install.
Flow monitoring done in later years showed a 75-80% reduction in storm water
runoff during a regular rainfall.
Bio -retention
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Bio-retention another general word used to describe the principle behind rain
gardens and other low impact design for storm water. Bio retention basically
means to use the properties of plants, soil, and soil make-up to produce better
water quality in waterways than would otherwise be known if the current
infrastructure was to remain.
To calculate how big a rain garden or bio-retention area should be(although it
can be as big as is wanted , a calculation similar to calculating rain water
harvesting systems is carried out to find out how much area is needed, to hold or
flow water away to another area.
The calculation is a general one although it can be made more specific using the
rain water harvesting sum.
Estimate the area which the site will get rain. Multiply the width X length of thebuilding(s) and add the square metres of paved/concreted areas. You want o
estimate only the square meters of impermeable landscape that will drain into
the rain garden/bio retention area.
For sandy soil the rain garden will want to be 20-30% of the area calculated. For
clay soil the garden should be 60% of the drain area (soil replacement is usually
the best option here).
To improve or create a whole new garden the type of soil used on a site is
important a mixture of sand (50-60%) topsoil (20-30%) and compost (20-30%) is
the best way to do this.
In urban areas with little or no soil it is important that many different
combinations of systems are used to help manage rainwater and storms but any
size raingardens can only be a good thing. It is important to point out that the
traditional drains will still be part of the street. Rain gardens and S.U.D.S can be
used in conjunction with these as the water will have been cooled, cleaned to a
certain extent and slowed down a lot.
More components of a rain garden or suds;
Swales
Swales are normally used in places where little rain falls and it is a desire to
collect, store and use rainwater in the landscape, usually on a farm. Contours are
followed thus sometimes swales are known as, on contour ditches. They are
used as a means of infiltration of rainwater into the ground. Higher levels such as
hillsides or slopes benefit as rainwater is collected up higher on the landscape
and spread throughout the hillside on its way down. A swale can be planted with
trees on the edges to encourage the water to spread a little and for some to stay
in range of the trees for use raising the water table. In urban areas they can alsobe used to collect water for use in the landscape and for infiltration. They can be
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designed to move water around and enable pollutants to settle and filter out.
This is another technique for slowing water down. Dams can be installed on
larger systems within the swale to encourage rain to build up rather than fast
flow for a few hours or a few days. Plants of great diversity can be planted along
the edges (shrubs, wildflowers) as in the farmland swale to shade the water to
protect it from evaporation and provides irrigation. It was mentioned earlier inthe text that warmer water flowing into existing ground water, is bad for the
natural state of groundwater for two reasons; one was that the increase and/or
rapid change in temperature can kill organisms found in ground or river/lake
water the other reason that higher temperatures should be avoided was that
warmer water contains less dissolved oxygen and therefore is bad for life in the
waterways.
Swales planted with trees, shrubs, and other wetland edge plants help to cool
the water down via the process of transpiration and allow other plants less
tolerant of summer flooding to live. Meanwhile this helps further along the linesimply by shading water. This method was used as the conventional one in many
parts of the world long before cemented sewers became the normal practice in
the U.S. swales used for urban drainage are now promoted as bio-swales. Wide
depressions are more useful as ponds therefore swales are kept narrow. For a
household this would mean a water storage depth of around 15cm and width of
60cm. And a maximum width of 1.2 metres for public swales alongside
motorways. In the u.k swales are sown with grass which is kept short this is not
only unattractive, but wastes the opportunity to create more wildlife in the area
and takes more maintaining, with the exception of places where vandalism is a
problem. In Portland, Oregon (home to a lot rain gardens with official backingand encouragement from the government.) Research has been done to test
swales vegetated with meadow like grass and flower schemes, compared with
swales planted with short turf like grasses. The latter retained only 27% of the
water flow through and the swales planted with more poly-cultural, meadow like
schemes retained 41%. A big difference. Pollutant capture has been shown to be
bigger also (81%) compared with turf (61%).
Permeable paving
Paving construction and the use of hard landscaping is usually the main problem
in urban areas where water is concerned but the immediate alternative is to use
porous materials that achieve the same effects. A hard pedestrian walkway or a
car park can still be used in exactly the same way. Permeable paving reduces
the amount of surface water run off for moderate storms and can be effective in
reducing pollutants. Permeable paving or even reinforced surface allow a certain
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amount of water to pass through into soil and groundwater rather than fast flows
of extra dirty water directly into the natural systems. Gravel can be used in a car
park rather than concrete but when a structure has to be more load bearing
paving blocks and plastic grids are put in place. Gaps are left between paving,
filled with sand and soil and sometimes planted to make the structure solid.
Plastic grids are used on lawn spaces sometimes around trees to give space tothe tree and allow soak away. The grids can be driven onto occasionally and
help to protect roots of grasses and soil compaction. Concretes that absorb
water are available on the market. More conservative councils may be more
likely to use this idea rather than planting schemes that could be vandalised. It is
also easier to work with in terms of conventional building plans. From an
environmental point of view, permeable paving seems to be a compromise
between people who want to see better building practice involving more green
space and councils/government thinking about non maintenance and greater
public need. Permeable paving can be used to channel water when an open
swale is thought be unnecessary these can be called rills and consist of modularpaving blocks fitted tightly but not using mortar to fix them in. Instead, sand and
soil can be used (but is not necessary) and planting of grasses can be used as in
plastic grid systems.
Rills and channels
These are another way of taking water to another place in an urban area. They
are a part of the idea of permeable paving. A way for people to walk over the
channel of water without even noticing that its not impermeable. Normally
gullies and long concrete drains are used to carry water away fast where water is
seen as a pest and not made a feature of. In the rain garden concept, channels
are used to direct water into a rain garden or the next part of the chain.
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Here are a few pictures
Storm water planters
Storm-water planters are really similar to normal garden planter except that they
are being directly fed water from a downspout, they are a way of infiltrating
water to slow it down and even clean it. Planters were created in Oregon. They
can be fitted anywhere are simple to build and are a great way to raise the
aesthetics of a street almost instantly. Storm water planters are home to plants
tolerant to flooding such as willow it has a longer term for storing water as it isslow to infiltrate. They can be connected together with other features in the
landscape and to themselves. Requirements for storm-water planters;
Planters must be at least 30cm deep from the bottom of the planter to the
growing medium and should not slope in any direction.
A minimum of 5cm is needed from the top of the growing medium to the
top of the planter.
Planters should be made out of stone, concrete, brick or any other durable
material
Drawings and pictures insert here.
Retention ponds
Retention ponds are non infiltration basins that gather water from the
surrounding landscape and hold it. Water can overspill and evaporate. The
functions of retention ponds are used at the end of the chain.
Retention ponds mimic natural lakes or wetlands, being as the water levels are
not always constant. They are a great wildlife habitat and improve amenity value
in an area. Pollutants are removed through settlement and filtration of plants.
The dry retention pond is normally used in large scale or public landscapes
these dry out in periods of dry weather and fill during storms or periods of heavy
rainfall. The dry retention pond is not really suitable for private gardens or small
scale projects. These have to be planted with plants that can cope with
extremes of weather. Finding plants that can cope with this is part of this
project and brilliant opportunity to find the resilience in natural wetland plants.
However run-off is usually contaminated with various pollutants which can cause
harm to ponds wildlife, therefore runoff should not flow directly into a retention
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pond. Increased nutrient levels in the pond water will cause algal blooms as was
discussed in the introduction. At the very least, a buffer zone of shrubs and trees
should be used if not using any other elements of rain gardens or S.U.D.S.
Slowing the water down prior to releasing storm water to a pond is vital as ponds
are not naturally able to cope with surges of water which disturb plants and
insects. A very useful precursor to a retention pond would be filter strip whichis discussed under that heading.
Ponds obviously come with serious warning especially where children are
concerned but it would not be good for safety reasons or wildlife if there was just
a steep sided water filled hole. When designing a pond, a wall or fence may
come into the plan but is not necessary. Plastic grids can be used for plants to
grow through the top and preventing adults or children from entering the water
but this is an added expense and may take professional help to install.
The best way to design a pond is to make it the sides sloped. no one can fall in,
and to add extra wildlife and aesthetic merit, some plants live on the edge as
they like more dry conditions and can tolerate some flooding some plants like to
be submerged some of the time and can tolerate dryer conditions (wet to moist).
This method creates a number of habitats from the edge of pond and a gradual
slope to the middle of the retention pond and a mixture her and there about the
pond. At least half of the pond should retain water permanently.
Give a cross section of a good pond
Filter strips
Filter strips receive run off on its way toward a stream or pond and they must not
be steeply sloping. They can be just a lawn but achieve more when mixedplanting is used, the wider a strip the better.
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Level spreaders can be incorporated into the design to distribute the flow evenly
thus preventing concentrated flows of water. Much like swales in design, level
spreaders distribute the water slowly into the ground but unlike swales theyre
filled with gravel. The big difference between swales and filter strips is that the
filter strip is sloping and designed to spread the water whereas swales are
designed to move water and store temporarily. Filter strips may be filled withlimestone especially level spreaders, this would help to clean and filter polluted
water, which has been contaminated with heavy metals that would be present
around garages and motorways.
Picture.
Green roofs
Green roofs are roofs that are made up of membrane, growing medium and
plants. They can be made of just turf but turf is heavy and can put great strain
on a structure. Green roofs improve water quality from run off or infiltration of
storm water. They are normally used on a small scale as they can be expensive
to install. Its easier to apply the method to your garden shed or lean-to than
house, especially if the pitch is greater than the recommended one. Green roofscan soak up as much as 80% of the rain that fall on them in a typical shower.
This works on the same principal as a lawn but with mixed plantings with plants
such as sedum and any plants that are shallow rooting.
Sedum is a very special type of plant that can live on very little soil its natural
habitats are bogs and rocky areas. (More about sedum in the plants list). It is the
principal plant used and can even be bought in mats that can be applied very
easily to the roof. It doesnt take long to grow and is very beautiful to look at.
The turf or grass roofs of Scandinavia have been used for centuries or more. The
roof s used local growing mediums and plants and simple materials for theconstruction. Over a closely sealed wooden plank surface, layers of birch bark
were used to give additional water proofing, and layers of birch twigs helped
water drain from the base of the roof. These ideas, using light weight materials,
are transferred into modern green roofs for out houses or lean-tos. There are
many different thicknesses of modern green roof that have been invented over
time but they all consist of a series of layers.
Water proof layer
The base layer of any green roof is the water proof layer. This also has to be root
proof. Green roof companies will give a guaranty of normally 25 years againstleakage.
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Drainage layer
The drainage layer normally sits on top of the water proof layer and removes
excess water from the roof. Most green roof plants are tough and drought
tolerant (they dont like water logged soil). Commercially, drainage layers are
preformed plastic layers with cells that have drainage outlets.
Filter mat
Geo textile material sits in between the water proof layer and the drainage layer
to prevent the drainage layer becoming too clogged up with solids.
Growing medium.
The growing medium supports plants and improves the permeability of the roof.
This is sometimes artificial composed of recycled crushed bricks or tiles mixed
with a small proportion of organic soil/ (10-20%) compost.
The vegetation
Basically, plants that are tough and drought tolerant that store water, like
sedum.
Pictures and diagrams
Case study
Areas in Kinsale County cork Ireland
References made to the level of water hardiness or drought hardiness are meant
thus:
Wet site constantly waterlogged with long continuous periods of
standing surface water. Includes swamp and marsh conditions
Moist soil constantly moist. Plants tolerant of longer periods of flooding
Mesic soil neither excessively wet or dry plants tolerant of brief periods
of flooding
Dry plants that tolerate extended dry periods
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Goats beard ranunculus dioicius
2.omX3.0m flowers from July- August
Sun and light shade in moist to mesic soil.
Marsh marigold - C altha palustris 30cmX30cm Irish native
Flowers April May. requires wet moist soils in sun or dappled shade GroundCover;Pond; BogGarden;
Marsh
marigolds
Natural
habitat is
alder
woods and
fenland.
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flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and arepollinated by Bees, beetles, flies. It is noted for attracting wildlife.
The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and cangrow in heavy clay soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils.It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires wet soil and
can grow in water (shallow water up to 15cm deep), though it will tolerate drierconditions if there is shade from the summer sun.
The Root is edible when well cooked. The raw root should not be eaten. Flowerbuds can be eaten cooked or pickled and used as a caper substitute. Eating theraw flower buds can lead to intoxication. Young leaves, cooked, are also edible.
The leaves are harvested in the spring as the plant is coming into flower and isused like spinach after cooking in two or more changes of water. Eating the rawleaves can lead to intoxication. Older leaves, before the plant flowers, can beeaten if they are well cooked some caution is advised. A dye can also be madefrom the flowers as a substitute for saffron.
Cuckoo flower /ladies smock Cardamine
pratensis 45cmX30cm
Flowers April to May requires moist mesic or wet
soil in sunny area.
The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male andfemale organs) and are pollinated by Bees, flies,Moths & Butterflies. The plant is self-fertile and is
noted for attracting wildlife.The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) andheavy (clay) soils. The plant prefers acid, neutraland basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade(light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist orwet soil.
Leaves and young shoots are edible, raw or cookedand are Rich in vitamins and minerals, especially
vitamin C, but with a bitter and pungent flavour. The leaves and young shootsare harvested in the spring and taste rather like water cress. The leaves can beavailable early in the year and when used in small quantities make a very
acceptable addition to salads. Flowers and flower buds can also be eaten rawwhich also have a pungent cress-like flavour. The white flowers are veryattractive, they make a pleasant nibble.
Cuckoo flower Succeeds in most soils so long as they are moist or wet. It prefersa cool damp soil. Cuckoo flower should be positioned in full sun or partial shade.Cuckoo flower was at one time much used as a spring salad plant and was oftensold in local markets. A very ornamental plant, non-invasive and well suited tothe wild garden though it may require protection from wood pigeons that eat outthe young buds in spring. It grows well in the spring meadow. A food plant for theorange tip butterfly. There is at least one named variety, selected for itsornamental value. 'Flore Pleno' is a double flowered form.
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Hemp agrimony Eupatorium cannabinium 1.5mX1.0m. Flowers July
august requires moist mesic soils in a shady edge.The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and arepollinated by Bees, flies, beetles, Moths & Butterflies. The plant is self-fertile. It isnoted for attracting wildlife.
The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. The plantprefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (lightwoodland) or no shade.
Hemp agrimonys normal habitat
is by streams in lowland areas and
avoiding acid soils. It ranges from
Britain to North Africa includingwestern and central Asia.
Hemp agrimony has been
employed chiefly as a detoxifying
herb for fevers, colds, flu and
other viral conditions. It also
stimulates the removal of waste
products via the kidneys but it
should be used only under
professional supervision. A teamade from the dried leaves will
give prompt relief if taken at the
onset of influenza and recent
research has shown that the plant
might have anti-tumour activity,
though the plant also contains
pyrrolizidine alkaloids that can
cause damage or cancer to the
liver. The leaves have been laid
on bread in order to prevent it
from becoming mouldy. The leaf
juice has been rubbed onto the
coats of animals as an insect repellent
Russian Comfrey Symphytum asperum 1.5mX0.6cm
flowers May June Requires moist mesic in sun or shade very vigorous. The
flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and arepollinated by Bees. It is the cultivated form of symphiticum communis
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The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and cangrow in heavy clay soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils.It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade.
Young leaves -
cooked or raw
can be eaten.The leaf is hairy
and the texture
is mucilaginous.
It may be full of
minerals but it
is not pleasant
to eat for most
tastes. It can be
chopped up
finely andadded to
salads, in this
way the
hairiness is not
so obvious.
Young shoots
can be used as
an asparagus
substitute. The blanched stalks are used. Older leaves can be dried and used as
a tea. The peeled roots are cut up and added to soups. The roasted roots areused with dandelion and chicory roots for making coffee. Russian comfrey is
tolerant of being cut several times a year and can be used to provide instant
compost for crops such as potatoes. Simply layer the wilted leaves at the bottom
of the potato trench or apply them as mulch in no-dig gardens. A liquid feed can
be obtained by soaking the leaves in a small amount of water for a week,
excellent for potassium demanding crops such as tomatoes. The leaves are also
a very valuable addition to the compost heap. A gum obtained from the roots
was at one time used in the treatment of wool before it was spun.
Meadow sweet Filipen dula ulmaria 1.0mflowers June August requires moist mesic soil
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Meadow
sweet ranges
from Europe
including
Britain and
Ireland(native) to
Iceland,
Spain and
temperate
Asia.
The flowers
are
hermaphrodite and are pollinated by Bees, flies and beetles. The plant is self-fertile. It is noted for attracting wildlife. The plant prefers light, medium andheavy soils and can grow in heavy clay soil. The plant prefers neutral and basicsoils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. The root can becooked and eaten also Young leaves- cooked are used for the flavouring insoups. Young leaves, flowers and roots are brewed into a tea or used as asweetener in herb teas. The flowers are used as flavouring in various alcoholicbeverages and in stewed fruits. Adding them to wine or beer is said to make a
very heady brew. They are also made into syrup which can be used in coolingdrinks and fruit salads. Meadowsweet was one of the three most sacred herbs ofthe Druids. It is used as a substitute for aspirin with the plus point that it doesnot affect the lining of the stomach. Reports suggest that it can be used for the
treatment ofdiarrhoea andtreatment of theblood.
Water avens -
Geum rivale
30cm
flowers May
June. Requires
moist soil. The
flowers are
hermaphrodite
and are pollinated
by Bees. The plant
is self-fertile.
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The plant prefers light, medium, and heavy, soils. The plant prefers acid, neutraland alkaline soils. It can grow in semi shade (woodland) or no shade.
The dried or fresh root can be boiled in water to make a delicious chocolate-likedrink, it can also be used as a seasoning and is best harvested in the spring orautumn but can be used all year round. It was once used to flavour ales. The
dried root repels moths. Plants are suitable for ground cover when spaced about30cm apart each way.
The cultivar 'Leonard's Variety' is the best for this purpose. It is noted for
attracting wildlife.
Spring snowflake - Leucojum vernum.
Flowers from January April.
Spring snowflake is noted for attracting wildlife and
is Irish and British native.The plant prefers light
,medium ,and heavy soils. The plant prefers acid,
neutral and alkaline soils and can grow in very
alkaline soil. It can grow in full shade (deep
woodland) or semi-shade (light woodland).
The dormant bulbs are fairly hardy and willwithstand soil temperatures down to at least -5c. Itis very attractive.
Ragged robin - lychnis flo s cucili flowersfrom may to June and prefers moist Mesic soils.
European, (native to Britain and Ireland)to Siberiaand the Caucasus.
The flowers are hermaphrodite and are pollinatedby Bees, Moths & Butterflies.
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Creeping jenny is an easily grown plant, succeeding in most soils it also growswell in heavy clay soils and marshy soil. Creeping jenny Prefers a shady positionbut also succeeds in full sun. Plants are hardy to at least -25c. A veryornamental plant.
Yellow loosestrife - Lysimachia vulgaris 1.2m.
prefers moist mesic - wet soils.
Natural habitats includes marshes, streams and
shallow water
Yellow loosestrife ranges from Most areas of Europe
and Asia, including Britain and Ireland (native to
Ireland), but excluding the extreme north and south.
Yellow loosestrife is pollinated by Bees and flies. The
plant is self-fertile.
The plant is tolerant of most soils and can grow in heavy clay soil. It can grow insemi-shade or no shade. It requires moist or wet soil and can grow in water. The
growing plant repels gnats andflies, it has been burnt inhouses in order to remove
these insects. The youngleaves are edible and somereports say that it can stopinternal bleeding.
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Ostrich fern Matteuccia - struthiopteris 1.0X0.5 it requires moist soil andsome shade as ityellows in full sun andwilts.
Ostrich fern is foundnaturally in the northtemperate andoccasionallynaturalised in Britainits habitat would beon rocky streambanks and in woodedareas.
The plant is tolerant ofmost soils and cangrow in heavy claysoil. The plant prefersacid and neutral soilsand grows well in veryacid soil. It can growin semi-shade (light
woodland).
Plants make a good ground cover when spaced 60cm apart.
They spread slowly and the fronds tend to die off earlier in the autumn than most
ferns. It can be invasive.
Young fronds can be eaten raw or cooked before they fully unroll, they are thickand succulent and Sometimes sold in speciality markets, the flavour canapparently be compared to asparagus. Another report says that they are afamine food that is only used in times of need in China. The Rootstock can alsobe eaten peeled and roasted.
Water mint - Mentha aquatic a
1.0mX1.0m. Flowers july October prefers moist wet or mesic soils
found in Europe,(native to Ireland and Britain) N.Africa and southwest Asia Also in S. Africa, Madeira.Natural habitats include Swamps, fen, marshes, byrivers, streams and ponds, and in wet woods. It cangrow in water (15cm) and light shade. The leavescan be eaten raw or cooked or used as tea. It isalso used as a mouthwash or gargle for treatingsore throats and ulcers. It is toxic in large doses. Itwas traditionally used to keep mice and rats out offlour and it also repels flies. The flowers areattractive to bees and water mint makes a goodcompanion to Brassicas.
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Water forget me not Mysotis palustrus
Flowers May to July 40cmX60cm. Prefers wet moist soils (can grow in water)
Ranges are from Europe, including Britain and
Ireland (where it is native), to Scandanavia and
south and east to N. Africa and the Himalayas N.
America. Water forget me not is pollinated by Bees,
flies,Moths & Butterflies.
The plant prefers light or medium soils but can growin heavy clay soil. The plant can grow in most soils.It can grow in semi-shade or no shade.
Royal fern osmunda re galis moist wet soil
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2.0
mX1
.0m
The seeds ripen from June to August.
Ranges in Europe including Ireland and Britain where it is native. N. Africa andAsia
The plant tolerates most soils and can grow in very acid soil. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade.
It can be used as Ground Cover when spaced 1m apart from each other andsuitable for a Bog Garden;
It is useful in the treatment of jaundice and removing obstructions of the viscera(Organs in the abdomen). The fronds are used to make compresses for externalapplication to wounds and rheumatic joints for which purposes they are fairly
effective. An infusion of the fronds, combined with wild ginger roots (Asarumspecies) has been used in the treatment of children with convulsions caused byintestinal worms.
The hairs of the plant when mixed with wool are used in making cloth. The rootsare the source of 'Osmunda fibre', this was once widely used for potting orchids.
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Bistort P ersicaria bistorta or polygonum bistorta
0.50X0.50cm flowers from June September. moist, mesic, and dry soils.
Native to Ireland and Britain ranges from Europe to western and central Asia.
The flowers are hermaphrodite and are pollinated by Insects.
The plant is tolerant of mostsoils and can grow in veryacid soil. It can grow insemi-shade or no shade.Leaves can be eaten raw orcooked especially when theleaves are young, thoughthe texture is somewhatchewy when they are eatenraw. They make an excellentsubstitute for spinach. InNorthern England the leavesare an ingredient of a bitterLenten pudding, calledEaster ledger pudding, thatis eaten at Lent. The leavesare available from late
winter in most years andcan be eaten until the earlyautumn though theybecome much tougher asthe season progresses. Theleaves are a good source ofvitamins A and C. The Seedcan also be eaten raw orcooked. The seed is verysmall and rather fiddly toutilize. Root, raw or cooked
is rich in starch and tannin, it is steeped in water and then roasted in order to
reduce the tannin content. It is then said to be a tasty and nutritious food. Theroot has also been boiled or used in soups and stews and can be dried thenground into a powder and used in making bread. The root contains 30% starch,1% calcium oxalate and 15 - 36% tannin.
bistort is much used, both internally and externally, in the treatment of internaland external bleeding, diarrhoea, dysentery, and cholera. It is also takeninternally in the treatment of a wide range of complaints including catarrh,cystitis, irritable bowel syndrome, peptic ulcers, ulcerative colitis and excessivemenstruation[238, 254]. Externally, it makes a good wash for small burns andwounds. A mouth wash or gargle is used to treat spongy gums, mouth ulcers andsore throats. The leaves have a great reputation in the treatment of wounds
(used as a poultice).
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required. they are pollinated by Insects. The plant is not self-fertile and only themale plant is to be found is Britain.
The plant is tolerant of most soils and can grow in full shade the soil has to be
moist or mesic. butterbur Plants can be grown in quite coarse grass, which canbe cut annually in the autumn. A very invasive plant, too rampant for anything
other than the wild garden. Its roots are very difficult to get rid of. It is best to
only grow the male form in the garden to prevent unwanted seedlings coming up
all over the place. The growth is so dense and vigorous, with large leaves that
can be 75cm or more across, that virtually no other plant is able to grow
amongst this species. Plants are a useful early nectar source for bees.
Butterbur is widely considered to be an effective cough remedy and recent
experiments have shown it to have remarkable antispasmodic and pain-relieving
properties. It acts specifically on the bile ducts and stomach . The plant contains
pyrrolizidine alkaloids. On there own these are toxic to the liver. A decoction istaken as a remedy for various respiratory problems such as asthma, colds,
bronchitis and whooping cough. Externally it can be used as a poultice to speed
the healing of wounds. The leaves are harvested in early summer, the root in
late summer to autumn. Both can be dried for later use. It is not recommended
to self medicate as it can be toxic in larger doses.
Primrose P rimula vulgaris
flowers December to may. 30X25 cm moist, mesic soils
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