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Flooding can cause intense damage not only to our homes but also to our gardens. Learn how to flood-proof your garden using this plan.
How to Flood-Proof Your Garden
Flooding can cause intense damage not only to our homes but also to our gardens. It’s costly and really disruptive weather that is now becoming a regular occurrence all over the world because of climate change.
Now is the perfect time to take ample steps to control and minimise the flood risks in our garden. Simply follow this 10-point action plan:
- Tackle Flood-Prone Lawns
Lawns on heavy soils just like clay or ground that has been compacted heavily during summer are more prone to flooding – but can be prevented with the right amount of care. Vigorously rake the grass using a spring-tine rake or a lawn scarifier to help pull out dead materials, then aerate with a garden fork by spiking the lawn,
Doing this will open up the surface so that the water and air penetrate down to the root zone and not flood on the top. If the glass became sparse after, you can overseed using fast-germinating lawn seed. It will help to thicken the grass and prevent any muddy patches.
Your lawns can benefit from an autumn feed because it strengthens the roots and helps withstand soggy conditions.
- Install Absorbent Paving
Because of our cars, our front gardens are made from hard standing pavements to pave off for parking. This is a big contributor to flash flooding because it cannot absorb stormwater.
According to the Royal Horticultural Society, three times as many front gardens are paved over compared to 10 years ago. Almost 1 out of 4 front gardens are buried under concrete while there are still 5 million front gardens without plants at all!
The cheapest alternative is gravel but it can be a magnet for cat litter so consider laying grass reinforcement. It’s a heavy-duty matrix system that allows cars to still be parked on grass without your lawn turning into a mudbath. Interlocking permeable paving is also a clever solution to allow water to drain away. It has a traditional block appearance but has no gaps.
- Plant Moisture Lovers
Growing the right plants in the right place will ensure your success in gardening. Some plants can tolerate waterlogged ground for a long period of time while a few will relish the opportunity and thrive in permanently moist soil.
Siberian dogwood (Cornus alba ‘Sibirica’) is a top choice for moist areas, while hydrangeas (especially Hydrangea paniculata) also love moist soil. Hostas will thank you for planting it in damp shade, just watch out for slugs. Arum lilies will also show off a funnel-shaped white flower when grown in moist soil. If you want that autumn colour then the sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) is tolerant of heavy and moist soils.
- Fit Drain Leaf Guards
Most of us really don’t care about drains until they block. The common cause of obstruction in drains are the fallen leaves yet there are still many properties without any barriers which result in flooding.
There are plastic drain leaf guards that can be bought online for cheap, allowing rainwater to drain while preventing debris from entering.
- Do Health Check On Plant Pots
Plants you grow in containers can become waterlogged and can drown so it’s important to do health check every now and then. Start by removing saucers underneath containers then tip the pot on one side and use a dibber or a pencil to unblock any obstructions on the drainage holes. Next is to raise the plant pots off the ground to help water to drain. You can buy pot feet on any garden centres or use decking tiles or bricks for a cheaper solution.
- Build Raised Garden Beds
When heavy soil si prone to flooding, raised garden beds are the best answers. They are an excellent choice for growing flowers, fruits and vegetables that can otherwise die in soggy soil.
Even garden beds raised just a few inches above the ground can already help improve garden drainage. Some ready-to-build raised bed kits are already available or you can construct frames from wooden sleepers or decking timber that you can fill with quality topsoil.
- Improve Soggy Soil
You can also improve flood-prone soil by digging in lots of organic matter like well-rotted garden compost or manure. Mixing in grit into the base of planting holes can help with drainage while planting shrubs on raised mounds can help protect roots from waterlogging.
Avoid walking on saturated soil because your boots will further compact the ground and can make the situation worse.
- Boost Butts and Tackle Gutters
Reduce flood risks by harvesting the rainwater and use as irrigation for next summer. Water butts can be linked to your home gutters, sheds, and garages. Slimline butts can hold around 100 litres of water while the big ones can carry up to 250-litres. Connecting kits are a great investment for linking butts.
It can also help to clear gutters of fallen leaves to prevent overflowing. You can also install a gutter brush, which is a long cylinder that looks like a chimney sweep brush to make the task easier. This can help prevent leaves from accumulating and disintegrating.
To make the job easier, you can also just attach a gutter cleaning kit to you eclectic and petrol leaf blower and shredders.
- Plant a Green Roof
A green roof is a biodiversity-enhancing carpet of dwarf perennials. It creates a home for insects and pollinators and can soak up rainwater which helps in preventing run-off that can contribute to flooding.
Ensure the roofs are sturdy and then line it with a waterproof membrane. Build a frame using pressure treated timber before filling with green roof compost. Sedum mats are a popular choice while sempervivums make a stunning addition with its eye-catching rosettes.
- Dig a Soakaway
If your garden is consistently boggy, then you can solve this by digging a soakaway. It’s not a substitute for professional drainage but can help filter down excess water to the ground. The only thing is, you need to dig at least one metre for it to be effective. Fill the holes with large stones or pieces of broken bricks before replacing the topsoil.
