Can someone explain in super simple terms what a rain garden is?  I've read some articles about it and I think the idea is great, but I just don't get it.  Like for example what changes one would make to their current yard/garden. 
Sometimes, especially since the baby, I am extremely dense!

They actually just had a free class on this up at Tom Sawyer Park.  I have some of the brochures still....

A raingarden can reduce run-off of pollutants by 30%, as the plants absorb and detoxify the water.  Most regular gardens are planted on a hill or incline, so water will drain away.  RGs are actually sunken in, either naturally or dug out. 

Basically, you find plants that thrive on lots of water (think edges of ponds).  Around here, the heavy clay soil has to be amended with lots of sand and gravel.   You can build the garden at the end of a gutter downspout or any naturally occuring water drainage area. 

I've always wanted a Rain Barrel.  You attach it directly to the downspout and use the water for watering potted plants etc.....Apparently, you can get a barrel for about $100-150 and it has a spigot at the bottom to attach the hose.

I just planted a RG at my Grandmothers house a couple of weeks ago. She was having some drainage issue d/t recent construction near the neighborhood and we thought this might offer an inexpensive eco-friendly solution. We bought our plants from DropSeed Nursery in Goshen. They have and awesome website that describes various types of gardens and details on available plants. Everything they have is native to this area. Native plants are recommended in rain gardens b/e of their ability to handle heavy rainwater, along with the summertime droughts. The Louisville Nature conservatory has info on rain gardens and they are the ones that hooked me up with dropseed. What a fun project! Shannon, if you want to put one in at the store I can volunteer some time!

It sounds like it would be a really fun group project and learning experience. I've been thinking about getting a rain barrel too, especially since I don't have an outdoor water source. I'll email you Cristy when I have a little more time to think about it! Thanks for the offer!

There is a good example of a rain garden on Harvard Drive. I'm sorry I don't remember the address, but it's fairly hard to miss. If you start driving down Harvard from the Douglass Loop, you cross Napoleon then drive maybe a half a block or so. The house will be on your left. It's quite overgrown right now and is actually in two yards. He has pamplets on how to create the garden. He used two different methods - one using a rain barrel and one with the water going directly into the garden. I think Bellarmine students helped put it together.

Thanks for the tip! I am walking that way to go to Kinko's tonight so I think I will walk REALLY slowly by his house. Sometimes I have to see something up close to get a good idea.