Phase 2 began bringing in the “green” to our green infrastructure.
Following the successful “big dig” at the Rafferty property, the Whale Pond Brook Watershed Association and the Long Branch Green Team set the foundation of the rain garden by digging trenches and filling them with stones, creating burms from chopped concrete, and outlining the rain garden circumprance.
Due to the drought and the late in the year start the next phase was plant and mulch – to plant some of the perennials that could be planted in the late fall.
While Phase 1 was about the heavy lifting—digging the 25-foot trench and laying a ton of stone—Phase 2 was about bringing the “green” to our green infrastructure.
Planted:
- The Sweetly magnolia
- Red Twig Dogwoods
- Holly Berry bushes
Here is a partial view of the plant design that the Rutgers crew created with input from the homeowner.
Final Touches for Winter Resilience
To wrap up, we applied a generous layer of shredded mulch around the plants. Because it was so near the Christmas holiday, there was not a lot of mulch available in the area.
But the mulch isn’t just for aesthetics—the mulch acts as a sponge to capture heavy sediment and keeps the soil insulated as the new plants go dormant for the winter. This protection ensures that by Spring 2026, the rain garden will be ready to wake up and start managing stormwater at full capacity.
This project is a perfect example of how small, residential spaces can make a huge difference in reducing local flooding and protecting our water. Thank you to all the volunteers who helped us move from stone to stem!