This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.
Wet Garden
Peter byrne2
Posts: 2
i have a garden which has a ditch running along the left hand side, however it is very wet in the middle, in fact it is soggy. Any suggestions how I can divert the water to the ditch? If I aerate the grass/moss will that help.? Cheers Peter
0
Posts
Pansyface thanks for the response, problem I have is the wet patch in the middle is not going to the ditch
Almost certainly the drainage in the top 6" that you can aerate is not a problem (if it is you need to change the topsoil), there will be a layer of clay somewhere below that that isn't draining and keeps the topsoil saturated and boggy.
Lay a single perforated pipe as shown in the link just leading from the vicinity of your soggy patch to the ditch, assuming the ditch is deep enough If the patch is large maybe spread a couple of orthogonal pipes out to each side to form a drainage grid below.
If the ditch isn't low enough you will need to ask your water authority where you can connect the drain to, or dig a soak away somewhere else in your garden (typically a hole 8' x 8' x 8' but dimensions might need to be changed depending on area to be drained, mostly filled with stones/rubble and topped off with topsoil).
If you are unwilling or unable to dig the necessary drainage trench from your bog to the ditch, why not convert the central boggy patch to make a feature bog garden?
Lots of plants will love it - astilbe, salix forms (fancy willows) ligularia, filipendula, gunnera, rheum (ornamental rhubarb), hemerocallis, arums, osmunda ferns, lysimachaia epehemerum, darmera peltata, astilboides, primula candelabra..........