Muddy Yard from Rain
Alisha F
4 years ago
There is a section of our yard where the rain pools and causes a huge muddy mess. Help!
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4 years agoAlisha F
4 years agoI was thinking the same thing about a French drain. Could def be elevation too lol. I was thinking either mulching it off, or paver stones and a rain barrel? But I’m pretty clueless. Definitely DIY whatever it is. My skills are limited but i am learning. We are slowly trying to fix up the yard but on a limited budget for sure. There are all sorts of muddy areas so we have tackled those and are wanting to address this spot. This pic shows where it is.
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Help! Front yard is a muddy mess.
Comments (9)I'd ditch the idea of stepping stones and gravel as it would be temporary and messy. It's not that difficult--or expensive--to form up and place a small amount of concrete and if you used that, you'd have something durable and lasting. Nothing against concrete pavers on a well tamped base so that's another option, too. Per usual, I'm submitting my suggestions in pictorial form so they're mostly self-explanatory. The returning branches ... I'm showing how they're going to be at the end of summer. Better to cut off some low-hanging limbs sooner than later (since you know it's coming) and get rid of some of the "gloom effect" that the heavy shade produces. For a groundcover, you might look into Calyptocarpus vialis, which goes by several common names. Plants are what hold soil and keep it from washing, so if you used groundcover below the tree in the shady area, you could eliminate the soil washing problem....See More6 men with muddy feet in the rain & in my house!
Comments (7)Thanks for the encouragment. It did stop raining. And they are being amazingly clean with the inside of my house, considering how the outside now looks. (Being guys they may not be using the bathroom much when I have a wildish area up back!) Karen, Phoenix is so beautiful! But I do love our NE summers. I am glad that we are doing this, but I think my dh wants to stay very busy, his mom died this month, at the age of 90 (almost 91). This is way of coping with stuff - creating more to do. So I feel a bit worried about him on that end. The junk forum is how I cope! kathy...See MoreRain, rain, rain ... pics from my patio ...
Comments (18)That is a non poisonous checkered garter snake. These aren't the kind that give you coronaries. You can pick him up and all he will do is piss on you. Some of these guys come with pretty colors on them and get much larger. They are right down in the center of town too. I had them in my yard when I lived on Deep Eddy 2 blocks from the river. I had a 6' rat snake down there that made me take a deep breath. And an even larger Brown snake that I found wrapped in a tree branch by my path. It made the tree so exotic all of a sudden in a Adam & Eve way. I am surprised you never saw them in Vegas. Every other city I haver been in out that way like Phoenix Tucson Santa fe Albuquerque had LOTS of snakes and they all seemed able to send me to the hospital. In 40 years that I have lived in Austin area I have only had 1 run in with a Rattlesnake in my garden and that had a good ending for both of us....See MoreRain Garden Location - back yard
Comments (2)Hi Sarahlhm! Sorry - goodness. I didn't see your post, and it was from a long time ago! Sheesh. You are right to point out that the slabs/ground are tilting towards the house. That is most likely where the water in the basement is coming from. First Step, have all the ground slope away from the house. That patio - if you want to keep the concrete, it can be "lifted". Google it to find a provider. It isn't that expensive, much less than pouring a new slab. Then, you can think about where to put your rain garden. Since you have had water in the basement, stick to the "letter of the law" and keep it 15 feet away from the house. Direct the downspouts there. They can go anywhere 1) downhill from the downspout, and 2) you actually want a garden. The rain gardens can be flower beds, shrubs/hedges, or trees. Don't limit your thinking to just one - it could be any of these. Good luck! Feel free to make an appointment with us if you live in Washtenaw County: https://www.washtenaw.org/706/Request-a-Design-Visit...See MoreAlisha F
4 years ago
emmarene9
4 years ago
Denita
4 years agolast modified: 4 years ago
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