Hi,

My property has a gradual slope to it and a lot of lawn, most of which
is fine. However there is a flat area of the property at the lowest
point, of perhaps 400 square feet, which is nearly always soft and wet
(we border woods which gradually morph into wetlands, so this is not
completely surprising). We live in the northeast, so the only very dry
season is the tail-end of the summer. The area does not have standing
water, but the ground beneath the grass is very, very soft and
mud-like. It so happens that this wet area would be a nice place to
sit, read, view the house, etc. but it is difficult to really use
because it is so wet. Plus, mowing is quite difficult given the very
soft ground.

Basically I'm gathering information on what alternate uses of this
area might be, so that we could eventually spend some more time out
there. For example, I considered building a freestanding deck over the
area. That is one possibility. Perhaps a rock garden would be another
possibility? Some other style of garden? I don't know much about
gardens or landscaping, so if anyone has ideas for how we could
convert this space -- especially do-it-yourself and on a budget (i.e.
not an in-ground pool), I would be most appreciative.

thanks,
Aaron