The Vale and Colney Rain Gardens, Barnet

We’re helping to brighten up Barnet after delivering the first rain gardens in the area to help reduce the risk of localised flooding and create an interactive green space for residents and visitors to enjoy.

Located in Colney Hatch Lane and The Vale/George Crescent, the rain gardens feature a fun and attractive design to brighten up the area and encourage local people to engage with the new green environment, whilst helping to mitigate flooding.

With a natural design implemented, the SuDS system provides habitats to a variety of valuable wildlife and pollinators, boosting biodiversity and creating an eco-friendly hub in two quite varied urban locations.

Rain garden planting

Covering over 194m2, the rain gardens include around 1300 plants, including shrubs, grasses and a variety of herbaceous perennials. This range of greenery has been specially selected to suit the conditions of the rain garden, utilising hardy species such as verbena, cornus and crocosmia.

Plant species used for rain gardens need to tolerate both wet and dry conditions so choosing plants that can survive varied levels of precipitation is essential.

Native plants are always recommended for rain gardens as they are well adapted to local growing conditions and support local wildlife, including birds and butterflies and many species of insects.

The potential of rain gardens

Rain gardens offer a flexible layout to fit into the landscape and are relatively low maintenance, creating ample potential for urban or grey spaces.

The Barnet rain gardens were built with walkways and stepping stones, encouraging people to walkthrough and interact. Absorbing up to 30% more water than a standard lawn, rain gardens are visual and sensory, making them not only beneficial for wildlife but great for people’s wellbeing.

Whilst rain gardens are predominantly designed to absorb rainwater and take pressure off the main networks, they can also become attractive spaces for local people to enjoy.

SuDS in Barnet - next steps

Barnet Council approved a 5 year road improvements package of almost £100m in February 2024. Part of this fund will support more rain gardens to be introduced throughout the Borough.

Maintaining rain gardenS

We manage all necessary tasks, including water flow management, mulching, weeding, and ensuring optimal plant health, to support biodiversity and water management. Our team is trained to identify and address any issues promptly, ensuring the resilience and ecological balance of your rain garden.