If your yard doesn’t drain properly, you face a rather significant problem. Your beautiful landscape will instead become a marsh during the rainy season, with constructions and plantings falling victim over time. Solving this problem largely depends on its source. The grade of your land, the composition of your soil, and the saturation level of your grounds are different problems, requiring different solutions even though they share symptoms. To solve your drainage problem in a manner that remains complementary to your Cortlandt Manor, NY, landscaping, look to a professional in the field for advice and implementation.
French Drain
No matter the source of your drainage issues, don’t wait around for heavy periods of rain before taking action. If grading the land is the problem, some situations exist where grading problems can be resolved. However, when these issues cannot be fixed without impractical costs, installing a French drain can help dry the boggy areas in question. Placed beneath a walkway or concealed with another crafty aesthetic design, this drain will clear the area of damaging surface water during those rainy months when your land may hold water. While this solution is neither new nor high tech, it is effective, and a professional in the field can construct it in a way that complements your landscape while functioning as needed.
Beneath the Surface Drain
For low-lying properties where standing water is a prevalent problem, a more extensive pumping and drainage system is appropriate. Being larger, this approach may be more expensive, but it can sometimes be the only solution when large portions of a property hold water due to a hardpan layer preventing proper drainage. Picture this approach as the opposite of irrigation, pumping water from several areas of the space using a sump pump to accomplish the task. Being underground, contractors will be able to conceal the necessary gadgets, leaving your landscape beautiful and marsh-free.
Raise the Surface
Literally raising the surface of a low-lying area within your landscape is yet another creative and unobtrusive option for standing water, especially when one corner of the yard is affected. Consult a landscaping professional to discuss design options, and look forward to a unique landscape feature that resolves drainage issues and facilitates new plantings or construction. This new space can be used in multiple ways, depending on your preferences, but you won’t have to base the decision on how to deal with water during the rainy season. Solutions may include installation of retaining walls, or simply grading the terrain.
Plant Wisely
Another option to deal with poor drainage is to embrace it. In doing so, you can choose plantings that thrive under wet conditions, creating a planting space that will transform the affected area’s swampiness into an aesthetically pleasing backyard rain garden. Perennials suited to this sort of solution require little maintenance, have varying heights, and can be used to create a bed that has the depth of color, texture, and height needed for a unified aesthetic. Consult with a professional to determine whether this option works best for your landscape or if a more in-depth solution is needed to resolve your drainage problem in a manner that respects the appearance of your landscape.
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