About 300 years ago, this land could soak up rainwater like a sponge. Then came the European invasion, as some have termed it. Pre-settlement, New England was 95 percent forested. In the space of just 50 years in the mid-1800s, however, we practically clearcut our home, leaving only 25 percent in forest. Denuding the land of trees so quickly resulted in massive erosion as rains washed unprotected soil off the land and into rivers and stream. Bye-bye topsoil.

Then, after basically ripping off the top layer of the sponge, we brought thousands and thousands of livestock to New England, mostly sheep. In Vermont alone, we raised 1.7 million sheep in the mid-1800s (compared to 15,000 today). All those hungry animals compacted what soil remained. The rich soil that once supported lush plant life came to resemble water-repellent concrete.

Because it is plants make healthy soil. Gradually, as roots grow down through soil, they fluff it up and create little passages for insects to crawl and water to trickle. Then, as roots and other plant materials die back, organic matter is created. It's this nutrient rich organic matter that has the best potential to hold and store water. The bigger the plant, the more the roots and the more power it has to both stabilize and enliven soil.

And the small plant? That short green carpet covering your lawn doesn't absorb much water. Little skinny short roots can't loosen up your soil much. But think of the other big thing in your yard that keeps your soil from absorbing water. Think really big — your house! Yeah, that thing that rain hits and rolls off as you sit inside warm and dry. And as that rain rolls off, whooshing across your yard and into streets and streams, it carries along more that just your precious soil. Fertilizer, pesticides, pet waste, car oil; they all go right into the river.

But you like your good solid roof, you say? (Me too.) Then turn that protective surface into a source of horticultural plenty, by building a raingarden. Simply stated, a raingarden is a cluster of plants set into a shallow depression into which rainwater runoff is diverted. The purpose of this moisture-friendly garden is to trap that otherwise whooshing rainwater, giving it time to soak into your soil and quench the thirst of your plants.

Questions? Adamant objections? Don't worry, we're not talking mosquito pond here. Just a little garden that, depending on the amount of rainfall, will hold standing water for the one to 12 hours or so it takes to soak in.

There is plenty of information out there to help you figure out exactly how to design your rain garden and where to place it to collect every drop of your roof runoff, including a brochure produced by the Winooski Conservation District. Check it out on-line at www.vacd.org/winooski/winooski_raingarden2006_brochure.pdf., or visit BCCD for a copy.

Bottom line, though — It's your yard and you should design it to suit your needs — including playing rugby if that's what you want.

Sylvia Harris is the Agricultural Resource Specialist for the Bennington County Conservation District and the three other southern Vermont Conservation Districts. Her responsibilities include helping farmers protect groundwater resources (F*A*S Program), assisting in the state's watershed planning efforts, and advising the agricultural community on accepted agricultural practices (AAPs).