Being in NYC it's tough to know the cause. See, there are a number of ways to work around the problem, but FIXING the problem means getting to the reason the water isn't draining. In old cities, there has been building, upon building, upon underground infrastructure for 2+ centuries. NYC is a big area though, and it might not be an infrastructure problem at all.

Can you offer a wide shot of the entire area? What you are looking for, besides what is happening way under the soil, is the levels of the various hardscapes... foundations, patios, driveways, sidewalks, etc... If this area is lower than those hardscapes, it will either require more serious intervention, or a work-around.

What type of gardening were you planning there? Work-arounds include such features as raised beds for veggies, or water features for ornamental spaces (lemonade out of lemons.)

Serious interventions include simply filling in the space with dirt, digging it out very deep and installing gravel and a drain pipe, even a well with a small pump to collect and circulate the water in either a watering system for a veggie garden, or for fountains and fish ponds.

The determination for how to tackle it usually depends on why it's happening, and what you hope you can do to alleviate it.

I can take a wider picture of the area. This is right next to a deck. I plan to plant butternut squash there again. There are already two that i planted. I find that it takes up less garden space this way. I have them climb up to the deck and sprawl out there. There is also a cement walkway right next to house there that I have the vines sprawl out.

Do you want a photo of the whole garden or just more of this specific area? This it the only spot that has drainage issues.

Try to get as many pics as capture the lay of the area and what should be its natural drainage.

Remember, natural drainage also includes puddles, ponds, and lakes lol.

You say "again"... does this mean that you had planted them there previously, and did the space always collect water? if it didn't do it 'always', what has changed?

If you can't, or don't wish to search out the problem to fix it right away, you could always buy or build a planting box, or get a large pot (like a half whiskey keg, a tub, or similar container,) fill it with potting soil, and plant in that until you can address the issue more permanently after the growing season is done. Just get a couple of old cinder blocks/bricks/gravel and put the container on top to keep it out of the muck so that the container drains.

Last year I planted and I planted again a couple yesterday. Let me know if you need better pictures.

Hold on - where is the rest of that down spout to the right of the deck? Could the water from your roof be draining into the spot you are complaining about?

I would say that's an easy enuff fix to find out.

Gumby has a great point! I saw the gutter and didn't even think. Get a length of flexible black drainage pipe (without holes along the length) and you might be all set.

I still think a brick planter would be perfect though, lol.

I harvest the rainwater off my roof and continue to be amazed just how much comes in one rainfall.

As of this writing I have 7 - 55gal barrels and 3 - 30gal trash cans FULL.

Edit: don't forget there is water dripping off the deck also.

What kind of soil is there? Sand or clay?

Where is the water table at this time of year? Could a high water table be the reason for that standing water?

If it is not the water table then look at the soil for how much organic matter is in that soil.

kimmq is kimmsr

That downspout! The problem could not be more obvious except for maybe a garden hose running full blast into that spot. :-D I kid.

As for what to use for a raised bed if you decide to do that: it should be a mix of compost and garden soil. I don't think the MG Garden Soil is that great for what you have to pay, and it is NOT soil, but organic matter. I would recommend topsoil and 1/4 - 1/3 compost. The soil you have looks pretty good though (i.e. a fair amount of organic matter) to start with.

Im not sure where to start off in answering the questions and advice.

1. It isn't clay or sandy soil. (At least not as far as I can tell.) There is no sand and it doesn't clump up.

1. The rest of the drain pipe...I don't know where it is. This is my parents garden and it was like that since they bought the house. Water does flow from the spout into that spot and the grass in front of the spout. But even without it raining, if I simply fill it up with water from a hose it took over a day to drain out.
   I can pay more attention the next time it rains how the water flows into that spot. If it does look like a lot of extra water flowing, I could purchase this from home depot to flow the water away, right? (http://www.homedepot.com/p/White-Downspout-Extension-85010/100057879 or http://www.homedepot.com/p/Amerimax-Home-Products-White-Flex-Elbow-37084/100036053?MERCH=REC--PIPHorizontal1_rr--100057879--100036053--N)
2. Water table? No idea. This is the first time I've heard that terms. No where else in the garden has a drainage problem besides this one spot.
3. The rocks and bricks under the deck, again were there from when we moved into the house. None of them are in the spot im planting in. I do try to grab bricks from underneath the deck to encircle beds.
4. When i do add soil, I should buy any brand of top soil I can find and mix it in? Should I add anything else along with the topsoil to build up the height of the area? It would only be the area I cleaned out in the picture that I would use. I have other places in the garden that I plant other vegetables.
5. The sun rises directly down the driveway.
6. I hope I addressed every point people have made.

When you discussed the bricks just now, I hope that wasn't in response to my comments. I may not have have described it clearly. I meant bringing in bricks to make a planter. Something like this... Brick Planter Box.

Since you have sun in the drive, I would turn that corner with the brick planter and double your growing space. Old bricks can usually be found quite cheap in cities, and you can build it in a day.

As far as the drain, there are many choices, and you can start with either what you saw, or or things like this... http://www.homedepot.com/p/InvisaFlow-StealthFlow-Low-Profile-Downspout-Extension-4600/202532737

Then attach a longer extension like this... http://www.homedepot.com/p/InvisaFlow-StealthFlow-28-1-2-in-Downspout-Extension-4620/202516218

or this... http://www.homedepot.com/p/4-in-x-10-ft-Corrugated-HDPE-Drain-Pipe-Solid-with-Bell-End-4540010/100212428 ... to get the water away from both the foundation, and the garden spot. Just go to the store and ask for what options they have.

If you are willing to invest, or find a 55 gal. food safe drum (you can get them from soda and juice 'factories' for free or a very cheap price,) then you could do as Gumby above and collect rain water for watering your plants.

Anyway, first step is dealing with that gutter, then deciding on how you want to proceed with the growing space.

I was talking about your brick planter box. I wasn't sure if you could see the bricks under the deck, not the ones holding it up. There are a bunch of whole used bricks and some that are cracked under the actual desk, laying around. Our assumption is some construction crew was too lazy to clean up and dumped them under the deck.

Ive used the bricks to make something like this, not as perfect and its not connected with cement like this picture - http://www.thecitygardener.london/garden%20285.jpg

No, I couldn't see the extra bricks... see, you're halfway there :-D. I have a few dry-stacked (no mortar,) 3 brick high octagons around my young blueberry bushes. They keep people and animals from walking into them or digging around them. I like brick fixtures in the garden. If they aren't overdone, I think they bring a 'stately' look... even in slapped-together fashion like mine lol.

The water table is the natural level of groundwater - i.e. how far down you would have to dig before water filled the hole. I doubt this is a real water table but that spot may just be wet underneath even when dry on top because of all the rainwater going through there from the downspout + no grass to suck up and evaporate the water.

If you can shoot that water out into the yard (toward the camera) or convey it to the driveway by going under the deck with a couple elbows and horizontal extensions, I bet this area will be drier.

Its been almost 7 days since it rained. I checked the soil, it looks and feels wet. The rest of my garden looks dry on top.

Where does the water line enter the house and where does the sewer pipe exit? I hope this is only a shady spot that doesn't dry out very fast but you never know.

All excellent questions.

In the first pic you can see the puddle - in the 2nd it looks quite alright to me. How about another pic also. Show what you are talking about.

Being somewhat familiar with NYC "soil" (I have cousins in Brooklyn), I would guess that this is dirt with almost no organic matter in it, and there is something up to a couple of feet under the soil that is preventing drainage. Also, it abuts the soil under the porch, which is probably also non-organic and verging on hydrophobic. I would try to get organic matter in there (anything - manure, grass clippings, shredded newspaper) and divert the downspout somehow for at least a month. And keep it mulched.

My best guess would be that the lines are all in front of the house and do not reach the back of the house.

This is the only place that I have a draining/drying issue. Next time we have heavy rain I should check under the deck to see how it drains and dries there.

It lightly raining now. I propped up the water plate from under a large pot to divert the water from the drain away from this area.

Here is a photo of it today before it rained.

There certainly is no puddling in this pic.

AFAIK - organic matter allows the soil to retain moisture. I think you would want stone, gravel, or sand to increase drainage.

Could this area have more organic matter than the garden spot?

I'm not sure where the garden is located which you said dries out?

The first picture is from Sunday.

The second pictures are from Monday ( the day after)

The pictures I put up today are from today.

Sorry, if I am not clear. This spot is the one in the pictures. Where I actually garden is near by it, about a 3 feet or so away. I can take a picture of them to compare if you want.

In the pic that shows the driveway - Does the driveway slope towards this wet spot or away from it?

Soil is composed of various amounts of sand, silt, and clay particles although not all three need be present everywhere, so you have a soil that is either sand, or clay. Sand particles are quite large, round, and usually drain very rapidly. The only thing that may interfere with drainage in sand is a high water table. Clay particles are small, flat, and fit tightly together which impedes the flow of water which is why clay soils tend to not drain well.

How large an area is this? If this is a small area and the rest of the yard drains well it is not a water table issue. If this is a small area and is near where the pipes that bring your household water in you may need to excavate, deeply.

kimmq is kimmsr

The drive way does not slope towards the garden. Last year I would create a strip from this spot to the driveway and the water wouldn't flow back in.

Ah, the I do not know the type of soil I have. My guess would be silt but I would need to actually see and know the difference better to say with certainty. This is the only spot where I have drainage issues. I did a "toothpick" test like you would do when baking a cake the yesterday. I took a plastic support and stuck one end into this spot of the garden. It came out with some soil on it. I put the other end in a few different spots in my garden and it came out clean.

How would I find out where the pipes are located? This part of the house is an extension and has no piping, so my guess would be that there would be no pipes. The pipes should be coming in and going out from the front of the house. If this is a pipe issue, what would excavating deeply do to help? Can it be due to a leak or something from the sprinkler pipes?

Okay, I think the discussion about broken pipes is getting confusing.

First, I think the problem is just the extra water from the gutter that isn't yet drying up because the weather hasn't been warm enough. Regardless, the gutter is something you should consider a 'have-to-fix' issue. And, unless you are extremely short on finances, you should do it soon. Just plan it around whatever you wish to do in the planting spot.

Next, I don't think it is a broken pipe problem, but if it is, you also need to check that out. You mentioned sprinkler pipes... do you have a sprinkler system?

If it's a water main leak, and you live in a single family dwelling, you can find someone who knows what the leak detector dial is on your meter. If you aren't on an alley, the water pipes should go in the front of your house... this seems like the back.

If you do have a sprinkler system, then yes it could be a leak in the pipes. However, this is trickier to diagnose. If it is tied into your outside spigot (many are,) then if you turn on the spigot, and block off the outlet, you can check your water meter leak detector (for both the water main, and this test, you need to not be using the water anywhere in the house.) I suggest you find someone to help you with these things.

Like I said, I doubt these are the problems, but you never know, and better safe than sorry. NY had a lot of snow this winter, and I think you are just having a longer drying out period. This could be why the extra water from the gutter is making things worse.

But, keep your mind open to it being from a number of possible causes and get someone (friend, relative, neighbor) who can look at it in person. But definitely extend the gutter drain. Serious leaks in pipes have more priority though.

It is a good idea for any homeowner to know where their utilities are located. It sounds like you know they are all in the front. At my house the water comes in from the front and the sewer is out the back because the elevation is lower. You find all sorts of configurations.

I think this is probably just a drainage issue but since none of us are there it's a good idea to consider all the possibilities.

If you don't know and cannot figure out what type of soil you have you could put some in a sealable plastic bag and take to your local office of the Cornell Cooperative Extension Service and they will tell you.

kimmq is kimmsr

I dug deeper to see if there is anything under it obstructing the water from draining or a pipe. I found a few rocks and a pipe. We have no idea what it is for how to find out. The pipe runs parallel to the driveway, looks like it goes to the house from under the deck. No idea where it starts or ends. Here are a few pictures of it and also a picture of a wider view of my garden.

The area by the wall of the garage is where we normally plant our vegetables/fruits.

This is year I am starting to plant more things along the fence/driveway.

Ariel, I have forgotten where you are located but...

Why don't you try calling CBYD = Call Before You Dig. In CT its 811.

When someone comes out they should be able to tell you. Or if the house is supplied by city water call them. Either way should work.

Agree with Gumby, I think it's pretty much universal now to be able to call that number.

Do you have gas... like a gas cooking stove. or gas furnace?

Either way, whether water or gas, etc... I don't think it's leaking. Although, it's always good to know where all your pipes and utilities are located.

Did you get a chance yet to fix that gutter drain? If so, how's it doing?

Here's the Call Before you Dig link for New York City: http://www.digsafelynewyork.com/homeowners

"Whether you are landscaping, building a fence or a deck, or installing a pool, no project that involves digging is too small or insignificant. If you are planning to dig on your property for any reason, state law requires you to place a location request with Dig Safely New York at least two (2) full working days, but no more than 10 working days, before beginning your project, to ensure all underground utility lines are properly marked by their owners. "

It's 811 just about everywhere, I think. Here's the Rose Parade float for Southern California 811: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZ5RALNSywU

Ariel, I wonder if you should fill that hole in before they come then?

I didn't fix the pipe yet. I have a temp fix for it now, with the bottom of a pot propped up to flow the water away. This weekend I should be be going to Home Depot to buy some stuff.

I filled the hole back up. Added 2 bags of top soil on it. And planted a little heavier this year in hopes they will use up more water and help with the drainage. Planted 6 butternut squash and 2 okras.

Thanks for the 811 number. Never knew they exist and a gas pipe for the stove could make sense.

Don't worry about them finding out you already did some digging. They are there to help locate pipes as a public service, funded by utility companies. All you have to do is tell them where to look - what part of the yard you are digging in. They are supposed to respond within 48 hours.

If that pipe is heading for the house, what is on the other side of the wall where it goes in? Usually you can find it coming through the concrete wall into the basement (if there is a basement). Or to a nearby gas or water meter, etc.

My sprinkler told me that since I did not ask them to come for the first time, after almost 10 years, this spring to open my sprinkler system the deleted my information they had file. So they can't let me know where the pipes and heads are located. (This is a side issue from the spot in the garden that drains slow)

What would you do to get them to give you the locations?

My parents don't want anyone to come out to mark the pipes.

It rained heavily Sunday night and into Monday morning. Monday morning I was able to work in other parts of the garden to transplant some things and move some arugula around. The area by the deck, looked dry until I stepped on it for a second and my foot sank in...it was all mud underneath as if none of the water drained. The drain pipe is not flowing water to the area. I don't know what to do but to just hope anything I planted there will be able to manage. One of my butternut squash is under a foot tall and its already flowering, which I think is a sign of stress to start flowering so yearly.

Thanks for all the help!

Someone asked earlier in the thread if the house had a sprinkler system. It appears that it does. Perhaps that pipe feeds the sprinklers. If they are 'turning it on' in the spring though, does that mean there was no pressure in the sprinkler system pipes when this area was wet earlier? When was the water turned on to the system?

If I understand correctly, the sprinkler installation co. deleted the info they had on file for the system so they can't tell you where all the pipes are. OK. I guess getting utility line markings is out of the question as the parents don't want to do it. I think you're out of luck here if you can't identify this pipe and find out if it is leaking. You could dig around it and see if it has a leak somewhere but it sounds like you have already planted stuff there.

We turned on the sprinkler system last week. I don't think its the pipe for the sprinkler system, it runs in the wrong direction to be for the sprinkler system.

There could be some leak, but I highly doubt it. When I dug down to the pipe I didn't see any pooling of water. The area by the pipe was only damp and cool to the touch. I wouldn't rule it fully out but I'm not sure what else to do if they don't want someone to come mark the utility lines. And even if someone marks it I would only what pipe is under and not if its leaking, if its a water pipe. My best guess it could be a gas pipe like someone mentioned. It would lead to our gas stove.

Ariel, this probably has nothing to do with what you are experiencing at your home but in my community garden I have an area that always has a puddle until well into summer and we get very little summer rain here in N. CA. I still want to plant there so how I get around the problem is I build a pile of rich soil over that spot and plant a couple of zucchini plants on top of the pile, which I flatten out. This works very well since the crown of the plants are not sitting in a puddle but the roots can benefit from the extra water below. The zucchini grow down the sides and are happy. I imagine this will work for winter squash as well or melons. The pile is about 1.5 feet tall, more or less...