Rain Chain Design Tips and Review

 

Om Rain Chain

Rain Chains can replace your down pipe and create a useful garden sculpture at the same time. Rain Chains have been used by the Japanese for hundreds of years and were originally developed to harvest water.  They are also added to the garden by feng shui design experts.

A rain chain works in the following way:

1. When it rains the water will flow from your roof to your gutter

2.  From your gutter rain water (or run-off) is normally directed to the stormwater system via a downpipe. However with a rain chain, rather than being directed down an enclosed pipe (downpipe) into the stormwater system , the water is channelled down the centre of the chain to a collection basin or rockery.  Even better the rain chains deposits the water to a well design wetland or a water collection point (to reuse your rain water for the garden).

3. Of course you can still direct the water from the rain chain into the stormwater system however that would be a missed opportunity.

Rain Chains are really just a  cosmetic component of eco-living however if you believe aesthetics are important then a rain chain might serve you well.  When the rain chain is used with other techniques such as green roofs and wetlands or a water collection point we really start to address Sustainable Drainage System (known as SUDS in the UK). 

Nevertheless on its own a rain chain can create a beautiful sculpture.  The chain is visible and so is the water. The mechanics of a downpipe are basically revealed rather than hidden. Rain chains create a moving sculpture (known as kinetic sculpture). And its all done with something that is usually adding to the visual clutter in the garden. The normal response to a downpipe is to make it blend in.

This design response is the opposite. Here we are saying

‘We need a downpipe so lets make it beautiful and celebrate its function’.

Plus as we all know rainwater has become a scare commodity. Lets give it the respect it deserves.

The best chains are those that do direct the water, will last  and also look great at the same time. Remember – you want to look at your rainchain and not just replace ugly with ugly.

 One of the best materials that fits this criteria is solid copper. This is an important consideration as a poor quality product made from cheaper materials will not last – they will rust and create another problem –  erosion  or increased stormwater run off with additional pollutants.  If you can not afford to buy a good quality rain chain do not buy one at all.

Vertical Gardening

There is a new product on the block that should delight many, Woolly Wally Pockets.  The Wally Pockets will enable you to create a living wall within a couple of hours. If you are interested in vertical gardening  and would like a product to help you please refer to my website www.gardenbeet.com. If you would like to hear my very brief summary of the current debate surrounding green walls read below.

Living walls are also known as green walls and are often associated with sustainable living. Vertical walls can be used to grow vegetables as well as provide habitat for wildlife. Great for city living and adding that particular wow factor to your warehouse/loft/apartment. They can also improve insulation properties of walls and absorb noise.

Nevertheless  there are  concerns with the eco-credentials of vertical gardens given the water and maintenance required, particularly in large public spaces. Yes, vertical gardens  need watering. The amount of watering, however, can be reduced by selecting  the correct plants, ensuring the soil has good water retention properties (if you using soil as a growing medium) and recycling water. Harvesting rain water or grey water would also be grand.

Vertical gardens are not the answer for every site. Hard walls serve a purpose . Green walls are not going to save us from the ‘evils of modernity’ but when used appropriately they can contribute positively to our environment.

An article on Apartment Therapy alerted me  to the death of the 1st green wall (supposedly) in Britain, at Paradise Park Children’s Centre, Islington.    http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/outdoor/vertical-garden-a-green-wall-in-islington-architects-journal-093944 It was originally built in  2006 and looked great when I first saw it during the London Design Festival in about the same year.

It is suggested that its death  is either due to lack of maintenance or technical design issues  http://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/5207086.article. It’s probably both.

As an Australian living in the  UK I am always amazed at how much public money is spent on maintenance of public spaces in this country. What you prune trees? What you hedge plants. Geeze. So if London can’t get the maintenance right on a vertical garden on a public building, can Australia?  I would love to hear more about the politics of the  maintenanace behind this project…anyone?.

I note that architects/landscape architects are concerned that vertical gardening is a new fad. A way of getting eco-credentials when they are not really justified. There is probably some just argument in all this, but it does not make the technique  invalid. And yes its been around longer than the 2009 Chelsea Show and yes it requires maintenance and it requires watering but there is still merit in its application. It’s just one planting or building technique of many. Suitable for some sites and not others. No different to anything else really.

Good on you Islington landscape architects/ designers for pushing it through all the political hoops.