Life does not exist without water. Gardens don't grow without water. But what happens when there is too much of a good thing? Or when that good thing is mismanaged and becomes a misfortune. Or when there are prolonged periods of drought?

"The tale of stormwater is more frequently a story of feast or famine," says Emily Swihart, University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator. "Managing this resource onsite can have ripple effects downstream and throughout the watershed."

Rain gardens, bioswales, permeable pavement, are all methods to slow stormwater and prevent floods.

Before Illin...