Oh, the joys of British autumn and winter—rain, rain, and more rain! While it’s the perfect excuse to stay warm indoors, your garden doesn’t have the same luxury as you. Actually, all that rain can quickly turn your beautiful outdoor space into a muddy mess, and nobody wants that. Chances are, you’ve probably done what you could to transform your outdoor space over the summer, right?
Well, months later, it’s probably not looking like that oasis, right? Generally speaking, flooding in the garden is a real pain, especially when it sneaks up during the colder months. But thankfully, there are some simple things you can do to stop your garden from becoming a soggy swamp.
Sort Out Your Drainage
If there’s one thing that’s going to save your garden from flooding, it’s decent drainage. When water has nowhere to go, it just sits there, creating puddles and turning your garden into something more suited to ducks than humans, which your kids, in their finest children’s waterproofs, will love, but which isn’t great for your garden. So that’s exactly why having proper drainage is key to keeping your garden in shape.
So, you should start by checking any drains or soakaways you have. They tend to get clogged with leaves, mud, and debris, especially as the seasons change.
You’re going to want to clear them out to keep the water flowing. If your garden doesn’t have any kind of drainage system, it might be time to consider installing one. Actually one of the best ones you could look into would be a French drain since this alone massively helps in channel the rainwater away so you won’t have to deal with any soggy spots in the garden.
Use Permeable Materials to Keep Things Flowing
Have you ever noticed how water just seems to pool on hard surfaces like patios or garden paths? Well, those areas can be a real nightmare when the rain starts coming down, and yes, these do make the flooding way worse.
So that’s exactly why permeable materials are ideal, since they let the water seep through and drain naturally, rather than just sitting there waiting to cause trouble. Gravel is actually a great example of a permeable material, but there’s plenty of others out there (and they’re usually marketed as such).
Actually, if you have flooding around your shed, you’re going to want to keep a close eye out there, too (or else you might even risk the things in your shed getting damaged. Usually, looking into proper shed bases can help prevent this problem before it even starts. Plus, a solid base will help prevent rainwater from pooling around it, too.
Fix Those Bumpy, Uneven Spots
Have you ever wondered why some parts of your garden turn into mini-lakes after a bit of rain? It’s often down to uneven ground. If you’re seeing this in yours, there’s a very high chance that it isn’t levelled. So, low spots in the garden act like natural puddle zones, collecting water and making everything a muddy mess. And over time, they just get worse. Usually, all you need to do is fill out these levels, and the problem solves itself.
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