I've just taken a few photos and I don't know how I've never noticed this before, but the flat bit at the bottom of the garden doesn't squelch at all despite being mainly moss as it's in the shade.
These photos have shown up in the wrong order. I intended them to appear the other way round so it was less confusing. This is to get an idea of what I'm talking about. This is the pipe from my conservatory. The grass begins just below that bottom step.
This is the lawn at the top of the slope right beneath the conservatory where I tried to aerate yesterday and apply sand
This is the area which was filled with weeds and seems mmuch easier to dig and drier.
This is the very wet earth underneTh the greenhouse and some of the things buried there.
This is the whole area we want to turn back into A lawn, starting beneath the patio. We haven't removed the slabs that formed the base of the shed yet but that earth will be pulled down to build up a slope again.
Is this a lump of clay? It feels like a solid object as a dig it out but it's not.
Is it normal for the ground to be this wet? Is it because I'm digging too far down? When the sun shines on it, these puddles dry up and it all turns light grey. I'm giving up for the day because I have no idea what I'm doing. I'm wondering whether I should have dug out the rubble at all. I thought I needed to so I could improve the soil but I really don't have a clue.
The area underneath the greenhouse is mainly clay, I think. Oddly enough, the flattened area at the bottom seems to be much more like normal soil. It's much easier to dig, it's not sticky and it's not got puddles of water in it. There's also no rubble there so far so it seems they've done it to put the greenhouse on?
Sounds like they took away the topsoil to make the area for the greenhouse and moved this to the flatter area you refer to. Hence why this drains well and that you are down to clay on the (ex) greenhouse area. Does that sound feasible?
I don't think so. The flat bit at the bottom is level with the neighbours' gardens. I think that's how it naturally lies. The stuff they removed make it level for a greenhouse was pulled up the garden to build up another flat area above it for a shed to sit on. It seems so strange, I would've thought that the flat bit at the bottom would be the wettest. Is it possible to have clay soil in one part of your garden and normal soil in the rest?
Yes. It's usually caused by an old spring creating a small pocket of clay. Springs move around so the fact there isn't one there now doesn't signify. On the other hand maybe it is there now, just much weaker, and that's why you have a soggy patch. Another possibility is that the old outside toilet that most victorian houses had was somewhere in the vicinity. That's normally given away by particularly healthy clumps of nettles. I would have expected the 'outhouse' to be long since disappeared under that big extension but if there's no drain at the back, then possibly your ones were further down the garden for, er, inconvenience.
Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
It's not a Victorian house, it's a 50s ex-council house. Did have an outdoor toilet but it was attached to the house and had proper plumbing. The whole area is very hilly and wet in areas. Water streams down the hill in heavy rain and particularly comes from one person's front garden. I often thought there must be a spring there. This was farmland until the houses were built. My mom lives in the neighbouring estate and claims that it had many natural springs but I don't know whether she's just guessing.
Haha, that's ok. I'm very grateful for all the help too. I think I will persevere with my original plan of improving the ground with compost and sand (and try to remove some of the clay and replace with topsoil) and see how it works out. If it doesn't I will have to consider something like your bark chips idea.
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I've just taken a few photos and I don't know how I've never noticed this before, but the flat bit at the bottom of the garden doesn't squelch at all despite being mainly moss as it's in the shade.
These photos have shown up in the wrong order. I intended them to appear the other way round so it was less confusing. This is to get an idea of what I'm talking about. This is the pipe from my conservatory. The grass begins just below that bottom step.
This is the lawn at the top of the slope right beneath the conservatory where I tried to aerate yesterday and apply sand
This is the area which was filled with weeds and seems mmuch easier to dig and drier.
This is the very wet earth underneTh the greenhouse and some of the things buried there.
This is the whole area we want to turn back into A lawn, starting beneath the patio. We haven't removed the slabs that formed the base of the shed yet but that earth will be pulled down to build up a slope again.
Is this a lump of clay? It feels like a solid object as a dig it out but it's not.
Is it normal for the ground to be this wet? Is it because I'm digging too far down? When the sun shines on it, these puddles dry up and it all turns light grey. I'm giving up for the day because I have no idea what I'm doing. I'm wondering whether I should have dug out the rubble at all. I thought I needed to so I could improve the soil but I really don't have a clue.
Sounds like they took away the topsoil to make the area for the greenhouse and moved this to the flatter area you refer to. Hence why this drains well and that you are down to clay on the (ex) greenhouse area. Does that sound feasible?
I don't think so. The flat bit at the bottom is level with the neighbours' gardens. I think that's how it naturally lies. The stuff they removed make it level for a greenhouse was pulled up the garden to build up another flat area above it for a shed to sit on. It seems so strange, I would've thought that the flat bit at the bottom would be the wettest. Is it possible to have clay soil in one part of your garden and normal soil in the rest?
Yes. It's usually caused by an old spring creating a small pocket of clay. Springs move around so the fact there isn't one there now doesn't signify. On the other hand maybe it is there now, just much weaker, and that's why you have a soggy patch. Another possibility is that the old outside toilet that most victorian houses had was somewhere in the vicinity. That's normally given away by particularly healthy clumps of nettles. I would have expected the 'outhouse' to be long since disappeared under that big extension but if there's no drain at the back, then possibly your ones were further down the garden for, er, inconvenience.
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
It's not a Victorian house, it's a 50s ex-council house. Did have an outdoor toilet but it was attached to the house and had proper plumbing. The whole area is very hilly and wet in areas. Water streams down the hill in heavy rain and particularly comes from one person's front garden. I often thought there must be a spring there. This was farmland until the houses were built. My mom lives in the neighbouring estate and claims that it had many natural springs but I don't know whether she's just guessing.
Does my photo look like a lump of clay? I don't really know what I'm looking for. What a mess I've created!
Yes it does. I'd guess an old spring is quite possible if it was farmland.
Sorry I'm confusing your house with the other one - it's me age
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“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
Haha, that's ok. I'm very grateful for all the help too. I think I will persevere with my original plan of improving the ground with compost and sand (and try to remove some of the clay and replace with topsoil) and see how it works out. If it doesn't I will have to consider something like your bark chips idea.