Incidentally, the crate has been removed from its former position and is residing in disgrace behind the shed. Its now clear that the entire patio drains into that one small area, hence the amount of water, because until I intervened via half baked research on the internet (I've since found a seller of rainwater crates who states very clearly that they are NOT recommended for drainage in clay soil) the problem was annoying but not crucial. By installing the crate I reckon the only thing I managed to achieve was to creat a large hole with impermeable sides, and once that was full, the water began to flood in earnest.Just as well I kept all that clay.
Its not as if I can lay pipes and drain away the water, because the only place it could be drained to is into my neighbours property. Maybe I should consider ditching the gardening gloves and buying SCUBA instead.
I loved your reply and it summarised my feelings about my soil. We started digging a pond last week and didn't manage to finish before the rain. So with no liner I now have a half dug fully filled pond...
We are on clay and the garden slopes gently away from the house. We currently have a soakaway which takes the rainwater from the house and there is a field drain (perforated drain) which runs from there to a ditch at the bottom of the garden. As far as we have seen nothing ever comes out of the end of this and the soakaway doesn't flood so that might be worth a try if you've got enough distance. The field drain has gravel all around it and doesn't seem to get clogged up (or at least it doesn't back up to the soakaway). We're actually in the process of installing another soakaway for the water from the garage roof which will work on the same principal.
Thanks both. Having failed so catastrophically to make any progress in dealing with the issue, I suppose I'm much closer to being resigned to the concept of a floating garden; and in any case I have plenty of other garden matters which are likely to need my attention as the weather (hopefully) improves. Maybe I'll revisit the issue and have a think about your field drain/ ditch idea, SG. There isn't a great deal of distance from the problem area to the boundary of our property, but there is a narrow border about thirty feet long and up to three feet deep which I suppose could take some kind of ditch, as long as I'm able to conceal it. My wife thinks I should have done with the area of soggy lawn and pave over it, but to my mind that would simply create a whole host of new problems, so I intend to let Nature take its very spongy course, for now. ;0)
We have heavy clay too. We have installed perforated pipes around the edge of the patio and dug a number of holes around the garden and filled them with large stones getting smaller towards the top then lawn on top. All my beds are raised using railway sleepers backfilled with bought in topsoil and sand and gravel. Bulbs are a big no no as they just rot! Every plant has a bigger than normal hole dig then topsoil and gravel put in around the new plant. Roses, hydrangea dogwood and camelias have done very well in my garden but everything takes a while to settle in. If they start looking really sick I pot them back up and when better I try them in another place.
Thanks, TH. At present the garden looks nice and dry, because unusually for Wales it hasn't rained for several days. However, I know that as soon as the rain starts to fall again the puddles will reappear and the primary sound in the garden will be "birdsong with a heavy hint of squelch". There is a recycling centre near here where you can get bags of free soil conditioner made from garden waste, so I might get a few bags and spread 'em around the garden. Maybe if I do that for a few years the clay might eventually give up and go away.
I'm in Wales too! It's raining here. My other have is building a pond and now the garden looks like a swamp! I got my recycled top soil from a quarry by Gelligaer if thats any where near you its good stuff!
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Only thing that will help is lots or compost and sharp sand dressings.
Thanks again.
Incidentally, the crate has been removed from its former position and is residing in disgrace behind the shed. Its now clear that the entire patio drains into that one small area, hence the amount of water, because until I intervened via half baked research on the internet (I've since found a seller of rainwater crates who states very clearly that they are NOT recommended for drainage in clay soil) the problem was annoying but not crucial. By installing the crate I reckon the only thing I managed to achieve was to creat a large hole with impermeable sides, and once that was full, the water began to flood in earnest.Just as well I kept all that clay.
Its not as if I can lay pipes and drain away the water, because the only place it could be drained to is into my neighbours property. Maybe I should consider ditching the gardening gloves and buying SCUBA instead.
I loved your reply and it summarised my feelings about my soil. We started digging a pond last week and didn't manage to finish before the rain. So with no liner I now have a half dug fully filled pond...
We are on clay and the garden slopes gently away from the house. We currently have a soakaway which takes the rainwater from the house and there is a field drain (perforated drain) which runs from there to a ditch at the bottom of the garden. As far as we have seen nothing ever comes out of the end of this and the soakaway doesn't flood so that might be worth a try if you've got enough distance. The field drain has gravel all around it and doesn't seem to get clogged up (or at least it doesn't back up to the soakaway). We're actually in the process of installing another soakaway for the water from the garage roof which will work on the same principal.
Thanks both. Having failed so catastrophically to make any progress in dealing with the issue, I suppose I'm much closer to being resigned to the concept of a floating garden; and in any case I have plenty of other garden matters which are likely to need my attention as the weather (hopefully) improves. Maybe I'll revisit the issue and have a think about your field drain/ ditch idea, SG. There isn't a great deal of distance from the problem area to the boundary of our property, but there is a narrow border about thirty feet long and up to three feet deep which I suppose could take some kind of ditch, as long as I'm able to conceal it. My wife thinks I should have done with the area of soggy lawn and pave over it, but to my mind that would simply create a whole host of new problems, so I intend to let Nature take its very spongy course, for now. ;0)
No, but I think I've just seen a large dorsal fin in a puddle by the rotary clothes dryer...
We have heavy clay too. We have installed perforated pipes around the edge of the patio and dug a number of holes around the garden and filled them with large stones getting smaller towards the top then lawn on top. All my beds are raised using railway sleepers backfilled with bought in topsoil and sand and gravel. Bulbs are a big no no as they just rot! Every plant has a bigger than normal hole dig then topsoil and gravel put in around the new plant. Roses, hydrangea dogwood and camelias have done very well in my garden but everything takes a while to settle in. If they start looking really sick I pot them back up and when better I try them in another place.
Thanks, TH. At present the garden looks nice and dry, because unusually for Wales it hasn't rained for several days. However, I know that as soon as the rain starts to fall again the puddles will reappear and the primary sound in the garden will be "birdsong with a heavy hint of squelch". There is a recycling centre near here where you can get bags of free soil conditioner made from garden waste, so I might get a few bags and spread 'em around the garden. Maybe if I do that for a few years the clay might eventually give up and go away.
I'm in Wales too! It's raining here. My other have is building a pond and now the garden looks like a swamp! I got my recycled top soil from a quarry by Gelligaer if thats any where near you its good stuff!