Aug 8

A rain garden has been completed at Nanryo High School.

In preparation for the rain garden at Nanryo High School, workshops were held with Nanryo High School students and staff from Kumamoto Prefectural University, Kyushu University, and Kumamoto University from June, and the terrain was created in August. On October 26th, the rain garden was finally completed after the students planted plants they had selected!

The purpose of planting plants in a rain garden is to maintain and improve the infiltration capacity by allowing roots to penetrate and increasing the number of microorganisms. It is also important to enjoy planting plants and continue to be involved in the rain garden.

The plants were selected through workshops with the students. Because the design of the rain garden was based on the image of the Kuma Basin, the plants were chosen to be typical of the Hitoyoshi and Kuma regions. In addition, flowers cultivated at Nanryo High School were also planted, allowing the students to feel a sense of familiarity and attachment to the garden.

Below is a diagram the students came up with showing plants and where to plant them.

Of the plants we chose, the pansies and violas are grown at Nanryo High School, and the wild strawberry was transplanted from the Nanryo High School experimental forest and will be grown in the rain garden.

Two weeks before planting these plants, the students spread lime in the rain garden, mixed it into the soil, weeded it, and adjusted the pH level. On the day of work, they first tilled the soil and mixed in leaf mold and sawdust. This creates a fluffy soil that makes it easier for plants to take root and improves its infiltration capacity.

Once we have prepared good soil, we can start planting plants. Here is a video of the process.

First, place the pots while looking at the diagram.