Courtesy Photo The Rain Garden is located on the riverbank at the Water Tower Park on 9th Ave.

This hidden garden is not actually hidden, but unknown to many Alpena residents. The Rain Garden is 600 feet of native wildflowers and flowering shrubs growing in terraces beside the Thunder Bay River.

This garden was planted in 2008 by the Alpena and Thunder Bay garden clubs and the Boys and Girls Club, and maintained by volunteer gardeners ever since. Visited now by birds and butterflies more often than people, it continues to function by capturing rain water and preventing polluted runoff from the paved streets and parking lot while putting on a colorful show.

Spring flowers blooming now are pink and yellow Columbine, yellow Ragwort, blue Flax and purple Beardtongue. Many other flowers will bloom during the summer and into the fall. Pay a visit to this hidden garden, walk beside the flowing river, listen to the birds and enjoy the beautiful wildflowers.

The Rain Garden is located on the riverbank at the Water Tower Park, on 9th Ave. Parking is available at the skate park.