Need ideas for new soggy place!

Dee W
by Dee W
We replaced our sump pump recently and needed to re-route the discharge lines. I now have a brown plastic hose coming out thru my flowerbed, which I don't mind. The issue now is that the ground is constantly soggy. DH carved a small trench to give the water a place to go, but I am thinking in the spring I may try to put in a small rain garden or some kind of water feature. Does anyone have ideas? I would really appreciate some input.
water discharge was backed up by grass boundary
Trench DH carved to try and alleviate puddling
  19 answers
  • 360 Sod (Donna Dixson) 360 Sod (Donna Dixson) on Nov 19, 2012
    Dee is it possible to get a picture of the entire area? Where does the line originate (how long) what is the grade to that point, then past the grass line...looks like it might be a down hill slope? What is the rate of the discharge?
  • Dee W Dee W on Nov 19, 2012
    @360 Sod (Donna Dixson) - sure I can get on that tomorrow with all the additional information.
  • 360 Sod (Donna Dixson) 360 Sod (Donna Dixson) on Nov 19, 2012
    cool.I think I can make a more intelligent assessment and offer up more sound advice with that Dee :)
  • Douglas Hunt Douglas Hunt on Nov 20, 2012
    You'll find some good tips from the Central Ohio Rain Garden Initiative (who knew there would be such a thing?) here: http://www.centralohioraingardens.org/
  • Amy R. Amy R. on Nov 20, 2012
    I have one that is exposed also...I planted monkey grass all around it and now u cant c it!
  • Dee W Dee W on Nov 20, 2012
    @Douglas Hunt --thank you for the link, I a really hoping this idea may pan out. @Amy R.---Monkey grass, I'll check that our...thank-you
  • Dee W Dee W on Nov 20, 2012
    @360 Sod (Donna Dixson) the hose is approx. 10 ft. long. It empties into the side yard which has approx. 40 ft. before the next lot. It does slope slightly towards the next lot and it will pool there when it rains. The soil is heavy clay. Pump will run once every hour or so for about a minute and a half. It is a 1hp pump so I am guessing it dumps maybe(?) 2-3 gal.
  • John Temmel Siding Guy John Temmel Siding Guy on Nov 20, 2012
    Great ideas thanks for sharing!
  • Douglas Hunt Douglas Hunt on Nov 21, 2012
    Dee, that doesn't really sound like a lot of water. Do you notice that area actually staying soggy when the pump is running?
  • Gem Ponds Inc. Gem Ponds Inc. on Nov 21, 2012
    If you don't like the look of the pipe, put it underground.. You can redirect it on your property using 4" drain tile..Better yet, if you want to capture and reuse the water, check-out http://www.rainexchange.com/ You can easily dress up the area with a water feature
  • Agree with GemPonds, capture the water for use later, you can do this with a rain exchange system by Aquascape. Just go to their web site and you can find some Certified Aquascape Contractors in your area who will be happy to help.
  • Eagle Services Eagle Services on Nov 21, 2012
    You may wish to consider routing the line into a drip irrigation system. That way your garden is not inundated. That or plant a high water use plant such as a rosebush.
  • Dee W Dee W on Nov 22, 2012
    @Douglas Hunt water has never been an issue here before and we've used the same pipe for our back-up sump pump for the last 8 years. This is a new issue since the re-routing of our main pump. The wet area covers about a 5sq. ft area. We've not had rain since Sandy so the ground shouldn't still be saturated. @Gem Ponds Inc. and @Rocky Mountain WaterScape I will check the link when I have more time, thank you. @Eagle Services I never thought of an irrigation system, hmmm. I will consider this option, also, the area is typically very dry here and I would need to re-do the entire planting scheme. It is a thought though. Thank-you for chiming in.
  • Douglas Hunt Douglas Hunt on Nov 23, 2012
    If the wet area is only that large, Dee, you could probably just plant a shrub that likes it wet. Something like a red-twig dogwood would also give you winter interest. Itea and clethra would be a couple of other options. (Not sure how much sun you have there.) You cold wrap your bed out to include the shape, which would make it more interesting than just having a straight line.
  • Dee W Dee W on Nov 23, 2012
    @Douglas Hunt I really like the sound of a tree or bush. That would not only be pretty, but easier to do and maintain. The area gets full sun--from first light to a dearly afternoon. Thank-you so much for thinking this thru and great idea!
  • 360 Sod (Donna Dixson) 360 Sod (Donna Dixson) on Nov 23, 2012
    @Douglas Hunt took the words right outta my thoughts! Great suggestion. I love twig dogwoods. They could be planted toward the back of the bed and the pipe actually shortened a bit, lower the ground a bit and add some decorative gravel, the most economical solution. Another economical solution would be to bury the pipe to about mid yard on the incline and add a pop-up emitter to the end. (See picture)
  • Douglas Hunt Douglas Hunt on Nov 23, 2012
    I am a big fan of mixing red- and yellow-twig dogwood. One of the best ways to add color to the winter landscape. Also great for wildlife value. In this article Portland Nursery specifically mentions putting them at the end of a downspout: http://www.portlandnursery.com/plants/natives/cornus.shtml
  • Dee W Dee W on Nov 23, 2012
    Wow! You guys have knocked it out of the park. I love this, the mix of plants-the color, textures and all as well as the advice about the piping itself. We have been concerned about animals as well climbing into the piping, but this pop-up emitter would be a creative solution. One question about the emittier? We have extremely cold winters, is there a possibility of it freezing shut at all? How could we avoid that? Just wonderful! A grouping of trees would work great in this spot which is also right in front of my dining room window and flanked by clematis. Thank you both so much for everything. I promise when I have it all done next year I will post pictures of what we decided to do.
  • Douglas Hunt Douglas Hunt on Nov 24, 2012
    We look forward to seeing the pictures, Dee.