Picture this. Your kids gaze at you with beams of excitement on their faces while holding bowls when they ask you, “can we go pick the raspberries we grew out in the garden?” You, of course, say yes and grab a bowl yourself, excited to indulge in some raspberry goodness. As you step through the garden you spent days creating, your socks and shoes become saturated with water and mud. Then you remember that a massive rainstorm hit your area the night before. Through the sounds of disappointing sighs and squishes your feet make as you’re walking through the newly created swamp, you think to yourself, “do I have to hire a landscaper to help install a drainage system so this doesn’t happen again?” The good news is that you may not have to! Follow these tips on improving your garden drainage and if you still need some help, Hydroscapes will be happy to assist.
Raise Your Garden Bed
Gardens at ground level are susceptible to being bogged down by water via rainfall. With that said, try constructing raised garden beds through timber railway sleepers, bricks or stone.
There’s Mulch to Do
Do you hate soggy gardens? Go to your local hardware store, walk to the garden section and grab some mulch. It not only helps with the potential growth of unwanted weeds but also does an excellent job absorbing water.
Aerate the Soil
Grab your pitchfork and head over to the garden. By poking holes in the soil, you’ll aerate the soil and provide little water channels to the roots of the plants. Be careful not to hit the plants and roots themselves, though!
Add More Foliage
One way to boost your drainage system is to grow more plants! The more plants you deep-root, the more your soil will loosen up to give it the proper drainage and oxygen circulation it needs. Adding more plants will also make your garden look nicer, so keep on planting!
Figure Out Where the Water is Coming From
Maybe the solution to improving your garden drainage isn’t a new drainage system or raising your garden beds. There may be a leaky gutter on the house above your garden. Maybe the rain dispersal pipe is directing the water towards your garden. A simple tweak or fix like this can make all the difference in your garden.
These are just a few low-cost, quick-fix solutions that you could incorporate into your garden to prevent it from becoming a local bog. If you need a different solution, consider contacting us! Hydroscapes is different from your typical landscaper. We are a specialty service contractor that provides custom irrigation and landscape drainage solutions to our local Southeastern PA community. Whether you have new shrubs that need to stay hydrated or massive puddles in your yard from heavy rains that require drainage, our team can design, install and maintain a solution for your unique needs!