Drain The Swamp: Protecting Your Garden From Wet Weather

Posted on: 27 February 2018

Summer storms in Queensland are known for large amounts of rainfall in a short period. As a new homeowner, it's frustrating to see your back garden go underwater time and again when the heavens open and the rain pours down. However, while you weren't involved in the initial design of your garden, there is no reason why you can't make changes now to stop it turning into swamp every time it rains. Use these three tips are a starting point for making changes to your back garden landscape.

Raise the beds

The problem with a large amount of water sitting stagnant around your plants is it creates root rot as the roots don't get a chance to dry out.  A raised bed drains quicker than a garden bed, which is level with the rest of the ground.

Autumn is the perfect time to raise garden beds because your plants are about to enter a no-growth stage. Dig out the existing plants, raise the plant bed by adding enough soil for it to be 30 cm higher than the ground, and then replant your plants. The added height allows water to drain away rather than pool around your plants.

Drainage for the rest of the garden is the next problem you need to look into.

Add new drainage

Adding new draining to an existing garden is a nuisance as you need to dig up soil, and potentially established gardens, to lay new drainage in place. This is a job for the landscape experts. To help them identify where new drainage needs to be placed, take photos of your back garden after heavy rainfalls. These photos help to ascertain where the problem areas are so that the landscaper can draw up new drainage plans for discussion with you. Before any work is done landscapers will come to your home to actually figure out how to fix the drainage problems.

As well as new drainage, you must consider adding new plants.

Add wet weather plants

Certain plants thrive in wet soil, so are perfect for planting in a garden which experiences plenty of rain. Examples of these plants include lilies, bottlebrushes and New Zealand flax. These exotic treasures will love the extra water in your garden ground during the rainy period.

Ask your landscaper for further help getting your garden under control before the autumn rains arrive. With careful landscape design planning and a little help from them, you can have a garden which looks wonderful no matter what the weather gods are throwing at it.

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