Yeah, my picture is quite poor. I'll have to take a better one. There is not a 'swale' but a spot at the end of the front bed (mud) where the water collects. The downspout comes to the end of the column, and then a long extension goes out 5 or 6 feet towards the yard. At the end of the extension, water pools in my bed and pushes the dirt around. I don't like the extension--it's ugly and sticks out like a sore thumb Water will need to be directed away from the porch foundation. We have clay soil, which I've been amending slowly but surely, and it does stay wet there for quite some time after a rain. It's a west facing house, though, so during the summer it can get quite toasty there. Rain garden to me means a special garden made up of a range of plants--from water loving to moisture tolerating planted in a swale (usu. on the edge of slope below a downspout or a source of water). The rain garden helps to use the rainwater to keep it from entering storm drains, etc.

Arkansas is a state that recognizes the Civil Law of Drainage. You may not lawfully block the natural flow of water from your neighbor onto your lot. Likewise your downstream neighbor may not block the flow from your lot. Look for any recent changes your neighbor may have made that obstructs the flow from your lot. The most critical elevations that will dictate what solutions are available to you are 1 the lowest elevation along the perimeter of the back property line, 2 the house foundation and finish floor height, and the elevation of the high side of your lot if you want to pipe some of the water. During big rains, the rain garden area will overflow and exit your property at some point. You need to identify where that is. Your sketch looks great, can I assume it is a scaled drawing?

Thanks guys! It seems that the builders plan in 1974 was for the drainspout runoff to go to the street and to the right side of the photo. Then sidewalks were installed down the hill and around a curve, and they are sloped so the side against the curb is lower than the curb. Error? Sunk? idk. Then the 4 ft high berm added by our neighbor trapped the runoff. Our soil is dense clay and there isn't an easy exit for the runoff. During and after several rainstorms since we dug the giant trench I observed the runoff and smushy tested the lawn to be sure that the downspouts are the problem, and yup, seems to be. Following guidelines from Penn State Extension, the trench with rocks on the bottom and a few plants (carex?) should solve the problem for our average rainstorm, but for a large storm i need to protect the bldg foundation and send the runoff forward, I think having the lawn from the trench to the street lower that the garden from the trench to the building will d that. But you are right Angel18432, it would be better to be just lower and not graded to the ditch. Thank you. also love how the bamboo looks, i will look into that. I cant believe I was so dense,of course -"do not block doors - emergency exit", maybe add arrow to correct addresses. ugh. Yes, the lighting needs work. Yardvaark, I have re-formed and adjusted for changing conditions many of grassy swales and dug what you are describing in another area to control large storm runoff, but the excess has a good way out. I thought that I couldn't do the same here as this area gets wet every storm and will be too smushy, like the areas I want to fix are now. And i didnt know how to improve curb appeal working around a big area smushy most of the time. Rain garden? mulch? floating around? plain dirt? all ground cover? time to establish in wet clay soil? grass? how to mow it? grass clippings with seeds all over? at least 10 ft from bldg? what to do in between? doors have to be accessible to each walkway, esp to move large items. I know you feel natural is best, and you have opened my eyes to that and gardening vs landscape, but I don't know how to do it here. If I am thinking wrong and missing the obvious, please let me know! I did change most of the area from the bldg to the 10ft area to mulch, cut down the yews, will be diligent about tapering other shrubs.

The plant list is similar to what you have described Nandina! Chionanthus is definitely on the planting list, next to the bench. Did not know it has both male and female plants. Have already planted several viburnums down below--Sargent's viburnum. And dwarf fothergilla (witch hazel's cousin) in the front, and some red twig dogwoods but I think I will transplant them, I don't like them in this setting. The larger shrubs are mostly our witch hazel collection, so Hamamelis species and varieties. We surveyed a local native high quality natural area to come up with some ideas on plants that would naturally be growing in this situation. One we are going to try along with the viburnums is pagoda dogwood, but keeping deer off of it will be a challenge. We found native currants in our reference plot but staying away from them due to lots of white pines nearby. Hence the maple-leaved viburnum choices. Debating on Illex verticullata because they don't do well with the excessive deer browsing problems around here. Am trying to solve that problem as well! I am planning on perhaps wild blueberries but so far haven't found any low growing ones and I have enough high stuff for the back. They would replace the redtwig dogwoods. The ones I got are cute, with small leaves close to the stem, so very ornamental but they look too contrived in this natural setting. I have a more formal place for them. As for the salt, YES, there are alternatives, but to get the grounds crew to coordinate and think out of the box may take some doing. I have had to re-do the plant list a couple of times. It's sometimes like searching for the needle in the haystack--native, deer resistant, salt tolerant, shade tolerant . . . I mean c'mon!! :) Our soil is limestone base so somewhat forgiving on salt. I have a huge compost stash for ammending and that helps. Also helps to counteract juglone, which thankfully is not really a problem in that area with the one walnut tree. Anyway, I will post the plant list in a bit for anyone interested. Lots of wildflowers, some ferns and grasses, not all for the rock garden, some for the hill down below. Am focusing on shrubs and trees first though. So far I've shown the two schemes/layouts to a lot of folks for feedback, some like the busier one, some like the more formal one. I'll probably do a hybrid. My MS Paint skills are deteriorating so not sure how many more versions I will play with. Eventually I will map the whole thing. Actually doing a map with grid paper next week with my class. Would love to find a site where you could download standard graphics for trees and shrubs and forbs. That would save me having to draw or try and find clip art for them.