Water. There's either too much of it or not enough. Just try to find a

farmer who can say he had exactly the right amount of rainfall last year!

But water isn't just a matter of concern for farmers and professional landscapers. Too much or too little of it can vex anyone who likes to mess around in the garden. As regular readers know, I receive a lot of e-mail from people exasperated by soggy soil and waterlogged plants. And folks living in traditionally drier regions become frustrated when a sudden downpour washes away delicate plants from the light, sandy soil.

Today, let's look at one way for you to utilize water in practical and attractive ways in your landscape: The Rain Garden.

The rain garden is a relatively new concept, having been developed by stormwater specialists in Maryland around 1990. Originally designed as a way to prevent stormwater runoff from entering lakes and rivers and adding to pollution, it soon became apparent that rain gardens can be very attractive landscaping features.

What exactly does a rain garden do? It "absorbs and filters rain that would otherwise run off your property and down the storm drain. This stormwater runoff usually comes from an impervious surface that rain cannot soak into, such as a roof or parking lot, or even a lawn," according to a web site located at http://www.raingardens.org As always, you can click on a direct link to that site (and many others) when you go to my web site www.landsteward.org and find this column under The Plant Man heading.

A rain garden will have a "ponding area" but it won't necessarily be a true pond all the time. It's a collection area into which stormwater is directed where it can soak away in a more leisurely manner. You can utilize a "natural" ponding area, or direct the water to a location of your choice

using a "swale" (a sort of man-made mini-valley) or underground pipes.

It is essential that your rain garden be at least 10 - 15 feet away from the foundations of your house and "downslope" so the water won't simply drain back into your basement or crawl space! Avoid having a rain garden very

close to large trees because the water can rot the tree roots. And if you're going to excavate, be sure you know where the gas, electricity and phone

lines are buried!

A rain garden can be a beautiful feature of your landscape, rather than just a dent in the ground that sometimes fills with water. Select plants that

have deep roots that will help with soil retention and allow the water to drain away slowly. Day Lilies seem to do well as part of a rain garden, and so-called "native" plants - those that grow naturally in your area - are

more likely to attract butterflies, birds and insects that are also area

natives.

"Native" plants will vary depending on the area in which you live. For a very comprehensive list of recommended rain garden plants broken out by geographical region, go to http://www.bbg.org/gar2/topics/design/2004sp_raingardens.html and once again there's an easy link to click on at my web site.

A rain garden can be both a delightful landscape feature and an environmentally responsible project. Let me know if you have questions or comments.

In a recent column, I talked about 17-year cicadas. Although they are not poisonous or dangerous to humans or pets, many readers would prefer that

cicadas stay off their land! I tend to let nature take its course or use the methods I described in that column.

However, one reader mentioned an over-the-counter product you might want to know about. He wrote:

"I'd like to suggest a great product for cicada control. The product I recommend is a pyrethroid but unlike most pyrethroids, it has no solvents ( no-phyto to plants or trees), no-aplha cyano group (nonirritating to skin), and is highly broad spectrum. It's TalstarOne Multi-Insecticide from FMC

Corporation. In addition to cicada control, it's labeled for all perimeter pest and can be used indoors, outdoors, lawn care applications, ornamentals, and even for termites." - Arnold Ramsey.

Thank you, Arnold. We use 'regular' Talstar at the Nursery on our maples, but I wasn't aware that there was an OTC version for home use. Thanks for passing on the tip!

The Plant Man is here to help. Send you questions about trees, shrubs and landscaping to steve@landsteward.org and for resources and additional information, including archived Plant Man columns, visit www.landsteward.org where you can also subscribe to Steve's free e-mailed newsletter.