Two Solutions for a Wet Yard

by Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger

12 Jun 2008 05:43 PM

Does your yard suffer from water runoff? If you have a pool in your yard or find your mulch heading down the street every time it rains then you'll need to fix the problem. Here are two solutions for when you have to take care of your yard's water problems.

Grading in your yard can funnel water down toward your house or wash away your lawn or garden. It can cause soil erosion, as well as an unappealing curb view. Our house sits down at the bottom of a hill, so we know about this problem first hand.

One very traditional solution to fix this problem is by installing a french drain in your yard in order to capture the water and redirect it away from your yard. The french drain is installed under the ground, so it won't have a large impact on your landscaping, if it is done correctly. You'll need a perforated pipe that has a large enough circumference to deal with the volume of water that you can expect on the worse days. You'll want to cover the pipe with gravel to keep the silt out.

The next idea has a bigger impact on your landscaping, but in a very nice way. You can install a dry creek bed. This is a landscaping feature that is made to look as through there was a creek running through your yard which dried up. When it rains, the creek bed will actually run with water, taking the water away from your yard. You can put a little bridge across the dry creek bed and line it with plants to make it a wonderful part of your yard. at the bottom of the bed, large and small stones allow the dry creek bed to retain its shape and add a decorative element as well.

Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, technology in the Computing Blog, and creating a home in the Home Blog. Starting June 1st, don't miss her articles in the Baby Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here.

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Learn more about Mary Ann Romans

Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat.

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