Vegetated buffer strips / rain garden

Planted depressions that slow and infiltrate runoff rather than just channel it away, complementing swales and drains.

Cost
Low
Upkeep
Seasonal
Skill to build
Basic
Lifespan
Effectively indefinite as landform/planting; specific plants need normal garden-scale renewal over 10-20 year cycles
Embodied carbon
Low
Space / material use
Medium
Output timing
Continuous process
Skill to repair
Basic

Note: Cost, carbon and footprint are rated against the other options for this same need, not in absolute terms.

What your site needs

Site area available for the buffer strip/rain garden depression

Inputs

Outputs

What this page does not tell you

No sizing or quantities: how much a technique yields, and how much a household needs, both depend on the build and the people, so the catalogue compares options rather than dimensioning them. It carries no bill of materials and no build sequence, and it is written for an oceanic, clay-soil climate (Normandy, France). Regulatory notes are indicative and need confirming locally.