News
Launching ‘RAIN Gardens’ for Wootton Brook & Harpers Brook residents
New scheme provides free plants and compost packs to help reduce surface water run-off and improve flood resilience
We are today delighted to launch an exciting new initiative to help residents in the Wootton Brook and Harpers Brook catchments create their very own RAIN garden at home.
Residents can apply for a free pack of RAIN Garden plants and compost to create a small but powerful area that will soak up rainwater, reducing the risk of surface water flooding and making outdoor spaces greener and more resilient.
What is a rain garden?
A rain garden is a simple yet effective way to capture rainfall that would normally run off rooftops and into drains. Instead, it diverts water into planted areas, helping to nourish plants while reducing strain on the drainage system during heavy rainfall. By creating rain gardens, residents can play a direct role in managing water flow within their community and mitigating local flood risks.
Sarah Parr, Project Manager for the RAIN Project, said: “The RAIN Project is all about helping communities adopt practical, sustainable solutions to manage flood risk and build climate resilience. With RAIN Gardens, we’re giving residents the tools to manage rainwater naturally at their own homes, creating greener, more resilient households. We’re excited to see the gardens take shape and look forward to measuring the collective impact of everyone involved.”
The initiative is available on a first-come, first-served basis, with at least 100 free RAIN Garden packs ready to be given away to Harpers Brook and Wootton Brook’s residents. Participants will receive a pack containing a selection of marginal plants to capture and retain rainwater, along with compost provided by Kettering’s Bosworth’s Garden Centre.
Each participating garden will also receive a numbered plaque to display, recognising its contribution to this community-led flood resilience effort. The plaques feature the campaign’s motto: “Just a small plot, but it’s doing a lot” – a reminder that even small green spaces can make a meaningful difference. In return, participants are encouraged to share a photo of their completed RAIN Garden with the RAIN project team.
The team will then calculate the total area of all RAIN Gardens planted to estimate the volume of rainwater diverted from drainage systems, showcasing the collective impact of the initiative.
Rickileigh Edwards, Project Support Officer of RAIN added: “This is a wonderful initiative, giving people in the community the chance to actively participate in slowing the flow of water, with a whole host of additional benefits such as adding a little bit of bio-diversity, reducing pollution, while adding a little bit of beauty to our gardens. The more people who create rain gardens, the more their impact will be felt.”
If you’d like to take part, check your property is within our catchment – maps can be seen here:
Harpers Brook Map: https://nfm.hrwallingford.com/main/rain-harpers
Wootton Brook Map: https://nfm.hrwallingford.com/main/rain-wootton
To apply, register your details via this link: https://rainnorthants.co.uk/rain-gardens/ or email rain@westnorthants.gov.uk.
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The RAIN Project is funded by Defra as part of the £200 million Flood and Coastal Innovation Programmes, which is managed by the Environment Agency. The programmes will drive innovation in flood and coastal resilience and adaptation to a changing climate.
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