In the last blog we looked at trees that can grow in boggy conditions and are adapted to help us manage heavy rainfall. As well as trees, the design of your garden can help you to manage heavy rainfall.
One of the best ways to manage the impact of rainfall on your property is to minimize the amount of paved and tarmacked areas. Soil is the best for absorbing rainfall, and although everything may be wet and a little boggy, the greater the area of unpaved area, the easier it is for the rain to get absorbed.
Much of Warwickshire is on clay, which has the reputation of retaining water. So if your soil and grass has turned into a bog, there are actions you can take to help the areas absorb more rainfall
- Improve the soil – adding compost, leaf-mold, gravel or other soil improvers will open the structure and make rain soak away more easily.
- Install land-drains – these are lengths of drainpipe with small holes all over them, usually buried about 1m below the surface. The pipe is surrounded by gravel; this allows the water to drip into the pipe and drain away
- Dig a soak-away – this is a big hole that you fill with stones and gravel, then cover, allowing the water to drain into this then soak-away slowly
If your garden is ‘bogged down’ and you want to know how to prevent this in future, give Chopwell a call. Our friendly knowledgeable team can advise on installation of drainage solutions and appropriate planting for your outside space.
