geri_a wrote:

Hi there,

I really need help with my boggy garden.

My garden is in 2 levels. The bottom level has a wooden patio so is
fine but the upper part of the garden is absolutely soaking!

Even in the summer, it is never really dry and the ground cracks open
with the weight of the watery ground lower on the slope.

Currently, there is a small green patch surrounded by a stone path but
we are wanting to lawn the entire area as we have a little one and the
stones are not child-friendly.

Someone suggested digging a trench at the top of the garden but I don't
think this will be enough.

In order to find the right solution, you'll need to analyze your current
problem in some detail.

How does water get there, besides just rain falling on it? Is it
getting more water than other parts of the garden? Is water running off
other surfaces (roof, downspouts, swales, etc.) and collecting there? Go
out and take a look at your gutters during the next heavy rain. Are they
overflowing? Where does the water go?

If it's getting more water, then do one or more of the following:
- divert the excess water
- add drainage
- find a way under or around an obstacle

If it's NOT getting significantly more water, try to determine why it is
draining so poorly.

- is something STOPPING the water from draining downhill? Retaining wall
or other barrier that extends below the surface more than a few inches?

- what are the drainage characteristics of your natural local soils?

- how deep are the natural soil layers on average?

- do your neighbors have similar drainage problems?

Next, dig a hole and see what you've got.

- does your garden have natural or manmade soil layers?

The older the house, the less likely it is that developers stripped the
topsoil down to the subsoil and returned just a token few inches, barely
enough to grow grass. Given that the subsoil has also almost surely been
compacted by heavy equipment, this particular problem can be very
expensive to correct. (IMO, lots treated like this should carry a warning
label so that they are never bought by unsuspecting gardeners). The very
worst case is a bowl-shaped impermeable layer which holds water like,
well, a bowl.

- are you finding construction or other debris?

You may get lucky. I once dug up a boggy spot near my house's foundation
only to find a giant plastic roof tarp buried about a foot down.
Drainage problem solved!

If you post back once you're learned more, we can go from there.

Cheers!

-- Karen

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