Those are all possible options so it will largely come down to time, money and effort and what type of result you are after. I think the best option would be to tap into the existing drain if that's possible. They've just done a similar thing to one of the greens at my golf club and the greenkeeper did a blog below:
I link this just as a practical guide to the major steps. I doubt you'll be putting in your garden!
I think your idea of small holes filled with sand and gravel would be last on my list. In saying that do you know if you have a layer of clay or is it solid? If only a layer then breaking through that would get you access to the subsoils and therefore a better chance of drain-away. At our old place the neighbours built a large soakaway centrally in their lawn. The downside was with the inevitable drying out of clay soils in the summer they ended up with a big square of light-brown grass which looked a little unsightly.
Another consideration might be to raise the level of your lawn so you are higher than your neighbours. This would push the surface water in their direction but of course would likely end up in some kind of 'discussion'. In saying that it would seem their hard surfaces have impacted your situation. But you could end up in some t!t-for-tat and lawns up to the top of your fences!
Thanks for the reply, I think raising the lawn would be too much to undertake in the timescale on my own but I do think my lawn has seen better days and is now very compacted which along with the clay soil is not helping matters.
Mart, the photo looks tells me you have young children therefore whatever you do will have to fit them in. basically your garden needs draining and raising jobs you can not complete in the time. Digging trenches or holes and filling with gravel works up to a point although the water still has to go somewhere, I did that on one small section of my garden and the water did run away downhill not causing problems to others.
Looking closely the play area being at the back you need a pathway for the children and a gravel path with contained sides would be ideal to keep feet clean from mud. Have you considered laying Astro turf around the play area this would give a cleaner area for the children. As to the rest raised beds are the answer, these can be made from scratch, a little drainage in the base then fill with soil. If the fence on the right gets some sunlight then put a couple of fanned fruit trees in there they will drink water by the gallon. Raised beds can be any height from six inches to what ever, filled with a mix of flowers vegetables and salad crops they will provide yourself with food and the children with an interest, I learned by watching Dad who gave me a small plot to grow things in. These idea's are only my opinion on what needs to be done in making a garden from your plot, I would also buy or win some containers and start growing some nice plants to divide the garden into play area and pleasant place to sit glass in hand. I hope this gives you some idea's look at the whole then mentally set yourself small improvements a bit at a time, no need to kill yourself, deal with the main problem first, path, Clean area, free from mud for the children
hi, you have raised some good points there. I didn't even consider raised beds. I'm slowly formulating a grand plan in my head. Soakaway at the back being fed from a herringbone system, with the central part running along the middle of the garden which in turn can be a gravel filled path along the centre. Raised beds to the rights where the fence is? Will this not cause water to drain into the centre of the garden
Mart Raised beds full of plants soak up water, when I had them they often needed watering even after rain. Fruit trees can come quite small and be fanned onto a fence or trellis, they will soak up water. On my wet side i planted two golden Privet spaced out they give winter colour and drink water by the gallon that side is now dry i have to water the rest of the plants. There are many shrubs or small bushes that will help soak up the water.
Wait until spring to sort out the lawn, the more you walk on it the more compact it becomes. In spring if you can hire an Aerating machine with open tines, they dig small holes in the lawn, you then throw a mix of washed sand and compost across the lawn and sweep it down the holes with a stiff brush, this will open up the lawn let it breathe and drain better. Later after treating the lawn with feed and weed around six weeks apart you may need to scarify, that means using a rake drag the thatch off the top, you will be surprised at how much thatch there is. If you cannot hire a machine then using a good fork walk up and down the lawn driving the prongs of the fork into the grass then do the sand and compost bit.
If you build raised boxes or even just troughs line them with old plastic compost bags nailed to the inside, it stops wood rot and contains the moisture the plants need. Make the box so you can reach any part without having to stand on it so a number of smaller boxes are better than one large on. That way you can also rotate any crops you grow. Hope this helps.
True but many cities in the UK have combined sewers which take both because the networks are too congested to be able to duplicate. And anyway you're not supposed to put ground water into either (overloads the foul sewers, silts up the storm drains).
Mart - I can't think of any reason why you couldn't put your slabs back over the soakaway and make raised beds elsewhere. Perhaps have fairly wide 'joints' between the slabs so you don't get a pond forming there.
Don't dismiss astroturf. For a play area there's much to be said for it, although the garden purists may scowl. Depends how you feel about plastic .
Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
I'm afraid I don't go with the tree idea ... speaking from experience (we have large trees at the end of this garden) trees don't take much moisture out of the soil in the winter - they have no leaves and aren't transpiring moisture. They take the moisture out of the soil in the summer, when you need it in the soil, and shade the grass thus encouraging moss. In a small garden such as yours, I would only plant trees because you want trees, not as a drainage solution.
Very true but in my experience on heavy clay, the roots do open the soil so even in winter, there is some difference. You may wait years for that benefit though - young trees are just shrubs with potential - so Dove is right to say only plant trees if you want trees. Don't shade out your play space for the sake of better drainage in 10 years time
Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
Trees in such a small garden would be a disaster darling as they say on Strictly, I am talking small fruit trees fanned and trimmed every year, they do take up water as does everything we plant. At the moment that garden is a lake and without major drainage work will remain so, anything that will take up water would be welcome. Most of us would get rid of the lawn in its present state and dig out beds for various plants from Shrubs to Vegetables, in time digging in compost and drainage materials the water would subside. I would also make a safe play area for the children and Astro Turf much as I dislike it would be ideal. Next a trellis arrangement across the open area with climbing plants and probably another fanned Tree to give a little privacy to the seating area. All of that will not be accomplished in two weeks it will take planning and materials depending on your own budget. I suggested raised beds to get some plants going that would not be drowning in the lake, that is a simple job that can be done over a shorter period of time. Gardening is and always will be ongoing, I never ever finished a new plan on time or in budget we make do and improvise as we go probably why we spend our time doing it. best of luck make a plan for your two weeks and stick to it do not be overly optimistic with your plans though.
I'm in the north east, we have had very heavy rain for 3 or 4 days. I have been to my parents earlier, their garden is completely grassed, it Is wet but OK to walk on, my entire garden is saturated and squelches with each footstep.
Posts
Thanks for the reply, I think raising the lawn would be too much to undertake in the timescale on my own but I do think my lawn has seen better days and is now very compacted which along with the clay soil is not helping matters.
hi, you have raised some good points there. I didn't even consider raised beds. I'm slowly formulating a grand plan in my head. Soakaway at the back being fed from a herringbone system, with the central part running along the middle of the garden which in turn can be a gravel filled path along the centre. Raised beds to the rights where the fence is? Will this not cause water to drain into the centre of the garden
Few more pics there, at the back there is concrete sleepers to the right and a sort of raised area to the left done by a previous owner.
Mart Raised beds full of plants soak up water, when I had them they often needed watering even after rain. Fruit trees can come quite small and be fanned onto a fence or trellis, they will soak up water. On my wet side i planted two golden Privet spaced out they give winter colour and drink water by the gallon that side is now dry i have to water the rest of the plants. There are many shrubs or small bushes that will help soak up the water.
Wait until spring to sort out the lawn, the more you walk on it the more compact it becomes. In spring if you can hire an Aerating machine with open tines, they dig small holes in the lawn, you then throw a mix of washed sand and compost across the lawn and sweep it down the holes with a stiff brush, this will open up the lawn let it breathe and drain better. Later after treating the lawn with feed and weed around six weeks apart you may need to scarify, that means using a rake drag the thatch off the top, you will be surprised at how much thatch there is. If you cannot hire a machine then using a good fork walk up and down the lawn driving the prongs of the fork into the grass then do the sand and compost bit.
If you build raised boxes or even just troughs line them with old plastic compost bags nailed to the inside, it stops wood rot and contains the moisture the plants need. Make the box so you can reach any part without having to stand on it so a number of smaller boxes are better than one large on. That way you can also rotate any crops you grow. Hope this helps.
Frank.
True but many cities in the UK have combined sewers which take both because the networks are too congested to be able to duplicate. And anyway you're not supposed to put ground water into either (overloads the foul sewers, silts up the storm drains).
Mart - I can't think of any reason why you couldn't put your slabs back over the soakaway and make raised beds elsewhere. Perhaps have fairly wide 'joints' between the slabs so you don't get a pond forming there.
Don't dismiss astroturf. For a play area there's much to be said for it, although the garden purists may scowl. Depends how you feel about plastic
.
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
Very true but in my experience on heavy clay, the roots do open the soil so even in winter, there is some difference. You may wait years for that benefit though - young trees are just shrubs with potential - so Dove is right to say only plant trees if you want trees. Don't shade out your play space for the sake of better drainage in 10 years time
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
Trees in such a small garden would be a disaster darling as they say on Strictly, I am talking small fruit trees fanned and trimmed every year, they do take up water as does everything we plant. At the moment that garden is a lake and without major drainage work will remain so, anything that will take up water would be welcome. Most of us would get rid of the lawn in its present state and dig out beds for various plants from Shrubs to Vegetables, in time digging in compost and drainage materials the water would subside. I would also make a safe play area for the children and Astro Turf much as I dislike it would be ideal. Next a trellis arrangement across the open area with climbing plants and probably another fanned Tree to give a little privacy to the seating area. All of that will not be accomplished in two weeks it will take planning and materials depending on your own budget. I suggested raised beds to get some plants going that would not be drowning in the lake, that is a simple job that can be done over a shorter period of time. Gardening is and always will be ongoing, I never ever finished a new plan on time or in budget we make do and improvise as we go probably why we spend our time doing it. best of luck make a plan for your two weeks and stick to it do not be overly optimistic with your plans though.
Frank.
Out of interest Mart, how much rain have you had to cause the effect shown in the last pics?
I'm in the north east, we have had very heavy rain for 3 or 4 days. I have been to my parents earlier, their garden is completely grassed, it Is wet but OK to walk on, my entire garden is saturated and squelches with each footstep.