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Wayne Ferguson Plaza Green Infrastructure

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Rain Gardens in Wayne Ferguson Plaza

Wayne Ferguson Plaza has many features including elements of green infrastructure that might not be obvious at first glance...read below to find out how our Parks Department is working to make this popular Old Town destination more sustainable.

Rain Gardens

The rain garden feature located on the south side of the lawn area in Wayne Ferguson Plaza may look unassuming at first glance, but there’s a lot of hard work going on in this little section of the park!  This installation works to filter pollutants out of the stormwater carried over streets and parking lots.

rain garden diagram

 

Source: Texas A&M Agrilife Extension Service

A rain garden is a garden of native shrubs, perennials, and flowers planted in a small depression, which is generally formed on a natural slope. It is designed to temporarily hold and soak in rain water runoff that flows from roofs, driveways, patios or lawns. Rain gardens are effective in removing up to 90% of nutrients and chemicals and up to 80% of sediments from the rainwater runoff. It differs from a traditional garden in that the space under the topsoil may contain sand, gravel, rocks, and/or drainage pipe to help collect, slow down, and ultimately drain the rainwater from the surrounding area. 

 

Native Plants

The plants listed below are all featured in Old Town. Each plant has a hyperlink with information about the pollinators they host, their bloom season, and other fun facts from the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. 

Tree List

For more information about Wayne Ferguson Plaza, visit the Parks and Recreation website.