In message , MM
writes
My brand-new house has a patch at the back which is nominally
designated 'the garden'. It is nice and level, but is extremely soggy.
At the moment it is bare earth with a few tufts of samphire-like weeds
here and there (this is reclaimed land in the Fens).

It's been soggy ever since I moved here (6 weeks ago) and there are
continual puddles of water everywhere. I cannot walk on it without
wellies. Are certain shrubs good for drawing up the water? What about
a lawn - best to sow lawn seed or get some turf? Any other ideas to
soak up the water? I did think of digging a deep pit and filling it
with gravel.

Aren't the builders responsible for putting land drains in in a
situation like this? The conditions may well affect your house as well
as the garden....

--
Klara, Gatwick basin