Water drainage

Question

We have bought a small home in Alabama near an underground river. When we have a lot  of rain the ground surrounding the house is very mushy....my hope is to finally have a flower garden and herbs and a cottage garden with old fashioned flowers and a climbing rose, as this most likely will be our last house.
The old house, built in 1944, has several large gardenia bushes, a row of boxwoods, blueberry bushes and a row of overgrown euonymus fortunei shrubs with the yellow leaves. I would like to remove the euonymus bushes.
We need ideas on ways to direct excess rain water  and I need ideas about where to begin a new garden in an old yard.   How should I begin?  A neighbor has said it is too wet to have a garden:(

Moxie · Answer

You could always consider a creative raised garden and potted garden...you could also dig up the yard, place perforated tiles (like pipes) to collect the water and direct it elsewhere but I suspect if the issue is the underground water table is high, you really are not going to change that. You could also try adding mounds of dirt to plant in to raise your flower beds more naturally and use 8' -12' of stone under your plantings to allow drainage. (must still be above the water table) Check with a local well drilling company and find out what the normal water table is in your area (they are really up on this kind of thing) and that will help you know.

Diane · Answer

Moxie,
Thank you fot the excellent advice and ideas for how I may have a garden in my new/old home. I will find out soon about the normal water table and proceed from there.

Blessings to you on this Christmas Eve,
Diane

Douglas Hunt · Answer

I agree with Moxie. It sounds like given your location, wet soil is going to be a given. You may be able to investigate improving the situation with French drains, but the other strategy is to capitalize on what you have and to build a bog garden. Many plants thrive in those conditions, and they are often excellent for attracting birds to your garden. I don't know how far you are from Birmingham, but there is a bog garden at the Birmingham Botanical Garden that you might want to visit for inspiration. Put one in and then invite that neighbor over to see how beautiful it is. (And post photos for us as well.)

White Oak Studio Designs · Answer

Aside from the garden issue.....I would also take care to insure your basement/crawl space stays dry. Sump pumps and French drains help to lead the water away from your home and foundation into a ditch or the like. We had a LOT of high ground water flooding and mold and mildew in the home is not good.

169756 · Answer

I agree with Douglas. Bog gardens can be so beautiful.

Debbie Darche · Answer

Diane, I live on the other side of B'ham with similar problems and the best advice is Go Native!For trees there are several magnolias, maples, and blackgums. Checkout itea, fothergilla, and the native hollies for very wet spots and native azaleas and hydrangeas for the drier spots. For flowers, check out spiderwort, rudbeckia, the irises, some native asters and in the fall, you can't beat the show that ironweed, swamp sunflowers and cardinal flower will put on. And then throw in many ferns and native grasses that can take the wet for a little variety. And the best part-low maintainance.

Diane · Answer

Thank you for the names of different things to plant which should grow well in our area.
I am looking forward to seeing some of them in a garden shop or nursery .

Sharon · Answer

I agree raised garden beds and potted plants would be the way to go for your veggie garden. Here is what we use in the rainy PNW for downspout rain water to move it out away from the house.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNHeAgQynwU this guy has a million videos on how to move water, just click on the Apple Drain logo to go to his page and click on the Videos button to find whatever you need.

Water drainage

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Water drainage

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