Here is an older picture of our yard- it was right after we finished the grading and drainage ditch. In the ditch picture link that was previously posted the stuff to the right is rocks my neighbor put down. He has several trees and a nice planting area. As you can see, when it rains his yard becomes the drain area. We just have the drain tube from the street that comes towards the back of our property. The ditch we installed helps send the water out back. This is a crazy set up but this is what the developer came up with and it was approved by the city. We have had city engineers out, they admit the previous guys should have never approved this, and they have washed their hands of it. We were told to do what we deemed necessary to stop our yard from flooding- without making enemies of course. The ditch can get a large volume of water as you can see but it no longer floods our yard. The ditch is only a foot deep at its lowest point. The small retaining wall in the picture is where the opening of the drain is. We were hiding from our sight. The biggest change was slowing the water flow. The opening of the tube from the street is about 3 feet. That is a lot of water. The opening is filled with bags of quickcrete to slow the water down. We tried sand bags, but during one rain storm it actually shot them out from the drain- quite a sight. From what I gather so far the sedge meadow/ vegetaded swale may be the best alternative. Probably cheaper than ordering more rocks which will get buried again.

That is a raised catch basin that is designed to keep the retention pond from over flowing as surface runoff (either off site or to an area where it could cause harm). The idea is for the swale to hold the water until the soil can absorb it, but in the event that there is more water than it can hold, a subsurface drainage system will kick it as the water pours into the catch basin. Sometimes these are also put in to keep the swale from getting too deep and requiring it to be fenced off (a fence is required for retention swales capable of getting 2' deep or more here in Massachusetts). Many comunities are now requiring this type of drainage solution rather than putting runoff directly into subsurface systems. The idea is that the plants will use excessive nutrients from the runoff rather than having it get into the groundwater which ultimately finds its way to ponds, lakes, streams, or bays causing algae blooms and other problems. We commonly design these on commercial projects.

I have the same problem on a lot that I have to upkeep in a neighborhood where I have not yet been able to build a house. The banks are too steep to mow, and their steep slant also makes the banks stay very dry since the sides face east and west and since the slope drains very quickly. The spring before last, I planted some 6 inch tall growing ornamental blue grass plugs that where supposed to do well in dry areas. This last February I saw that the grass had not spread much at all. The plugs had just begun looking healthier. Well this spring I thought some groundcover 'Fairy' roses should fill in faster and accomplish on my banks what you expressed was need on yours. The good thing about 'Fairy' groundcover roses it that they root as they go, but do not spread underground by their roots. As far as keeping them from becoming invasive goes, I think top spreaders are much easier to contain than those that spread by roots. For sure they are easier to contain than the ground covers and grasses that spread by roots and top spreading growth. Those multiple form speaders are almost as hard to keep up with as the groundcovers that spread by seed. The 'Fairy' grows a nice thick mat very quickly; In the growing season it blooms continuously. it greens up much sooner after the winter freezes than most roses, and small pink flowers that fade to white in sun do not need to be deadheaded. and the canes do not have to be cut back over the dormant period. Keeping them out of places where they are not wanted is just a matter of trimming them back every once in a while. When mine fill in that much and start to over extend the area, I just plan to use a hedge clipper to keep the perimeter line clean. The trick will be to catch the spreading canes before they root out side of the desired perimeters. I do not know how my efforts of planting them will turn out. Hopefully all goes as planned or at least creates a situation that avoids erosion and tall weed problems. One good thing I have noticed is that 'Fairy' roses are very good at living through dry times; even recovering if during the early spring someone cuts all the canes back to ground level. That was a thing my husband did by mistake to one of them after only 6 weeks from the time I had planted it. A month later the roots of that rose, which he had not shredded , had grown new top growth. The little vines were pretty short, but they seemed viable. I was in awe of how they could do that just like some established rose bushes do from being cut back more carefully to go through the winter.

Ground ivy (AKA creeping charlie) would cover the ground and stop erossion, and is s short compact plant. It can stand lots of water for short periods and is very dought resistant. But this stuff is the "Kudzu of the north"; Don't even consider it. It is invasive and almost impossible to eradicate. If the ditch drains well and has no standing pools of water, try turing it into a bed of day lillies. Start by planting two rows the length of the ditch. Place the rows at aproximately 1/3 width of the ditch. The initial planting dos not have to be dense. A spacing of 6 inches or more between plants is sufficient. Within a few years, the lillies will multiply and spread across the entire ditch. For variety, plant more than one kind of lilly, maybe a few iris as well. Standard iris is about 2 ft tall, but there are dwarf varieties available. If you can find a source of wild wood iris, a few of these would be nice. It is a protected plant, so don't go diggin them up in the wild. The day lilly ranges from 18 to 24 inches tall with longer flower stems. Lillies are easily contained by mowing or an edging. if you decide you don't like them, they can be killed by keeping them mowed over three years. After the bed is established, it will require thining to maintain flowering. However, you can let the bed go if flowering is not a prime objective. They will become crowded and not much of anything else can grow in the bed.