We're opening!
Sundogs Bed and Breakfast, a dog-friendly country inn located near Historic Shepherdstown, WV, is proud to announce that we will be opening and accepting guests starting November 15, 2018!
Online bookings are available from November 15th onward*, with special rates through next Spring. Visit our website for details and to make reservations.
Thank you for being a part of our big adventure!
We look forward to your visit!
* Weekends only through the end of 2018
Into each life a little rain must fall... or a monsoon!
If necessity is the mother of invention, then 10" of rain in the month of September necessitated a rain garden! What's a rain garden?
So much rain fell during the month that virtually all outdoor building activities ground to a halt. In addition, the rain (much of it heavy downpours) washed huge amounts of soil from the construction zone and into the new parking lot and driveway. The mud was almost a foot deep in places. And there the water stood, slowly seeping into the ground. We needed a long-term solution that would manage stormwater in a responsible, eco-friendly way.... a rain garden!
Our rain garden is being built by simply
Repairing and re-grading those areas damaged by the heavy rain (completed), and
Removing soil in the low areas where water tended to gather (completed), and
Planting the graded areas and resulting depression with water-loving native plants (soon).
Step 1
We graded the heavily-damaged areas to collect and direct rainwater toward the garden. Straw was then put down as a temporary measure to protect the area. These areas will be further protected from erosion using a jute blanket held down with biodegradable stakes. We will then plant native grasses and perennials to slow the flow of water and stabilize the soil.
Step 2
We removed soil from the low areas, creating a depression up to 12" deep in spots. The deeper areas will be planted with species that can withstand standing water for longer periods of time.
Below are some pictures of the excavated site:
Step 3
Plant the entire area! There will be a few trees, many native shrubs, and hundreds of plugs of native grasses and perennials.
Here is our plant list for the rain garden:
Trees
3 - Betula nigra - River Birch
1 - Nyssa Sylvatica- Black Gum
Shrubs
7 - Cephalanthus - Button Bush
11- Ilex Winter Red - Winterberry Holly
2 - Ilex Southern Gentlemen - male Winterberry Holly
8 - Itea 'Henry’s Garnet'
6 - Cornus sericea 'Arctic Sun'
Perennials
50 - Juncus effuses - Soft Rush
50 - Lobelia cardinalis - Cardinal Flower
50 - Iris versicolor - Blue Flag Iris
Here is our plant list for the graded areas:
450 - Little Blue Stem 'Standing Ovation'
250 - Echinacea purpura
250 - Liatris spicata
We will follow-up with another blog entry where we show the planting and the final result.