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.

Any ideas please?

geri_a

g'day geri_a,

i have a section on french/agricultural drains on our site maybe look
at that and see if it will fit your situation?

in lots of cases you can fix problems by adding a good layer of
topsoil over that area. but these are things yo are best to work out
as you can see the situation.

if you want to grow things in garden beds raised beds will provide the
answer.



On Wed, 10 Jan 2007 13:25:10 +0000, geri_a
wrote:

snipped
With peace and brightest of blessings,

len

--
"Be Content With What You Have And
May You Find Serenity and Tranquillity In
A World That You May Not Understand."

http://www.lensgarden.com.au/

geri_a 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.

Any ideas please?

geri_a

before anyone can help u we would really need to see a pic of how your garden is set up.
u say u have a slope but is there a fence in the upper section or a concrete barrier that might be holding back moisture.
if u can post a picture even if u put it in photobucket and then post a link to it here that
would be great maybe then someone might be able to help u with your problem.
cyaaaaa, sockiescat

It would be cool if you could figure out a way to turn this boggy
situation into an asset -- for instance by scooping out one spot to
turn into a tiny pond, while building up the soil level (and improving
drainage) elsewhere. In my experience, kids love nothing better than
mucking around at waterside, launching little boats and catching frogs
and whatnot. And you could grow something huge and exotic like a
darmera or gunnera for them to hide beneath.

On 2007-01-10 08:25:10 -0500, geri_a said:


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.

Any ideas please?

geri_a


--

Wundern kann es mich night, das unser Herr Christus mit Dernen
Gern und mit Sündern gelebt, geht's mir doch eben auch so.

I can't be surprised that our Lord, Jesus Christ, liked to hang out
With sinners and harlots.* That's how it is with me, too.
* -- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, 1749-1832

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

The Garden Gate http://garden-gate.prairienet.org
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