Rain barrels conserve water.
Backyard flooding and sogginess can reduce the amount of space available for entertaining and limit summer enjoyment. Other than proving an inconvenience, backyard flooding may also leak into basements and fill up storm drains. These soggy annoyances are not an unavoidable part of a rainy spring or summer. Take measures to regain the usefulness and dryness of a backyard setting. Some backyard drainage ideas serve additional purposes outside of drainage alone. Does this Spark an idea?
Rain Barrels
A rain barrel is exactly what it sounds like--a barrel for catching rain. Rain barrels serve both the purpose of keeping the ground from becoming soggy and providing a water conservation method. You can purchase them at a number of home and garden outlets, or crafty homeowners can save some hard-earned cash and make a rain barrel from almost any large plastic barrel. Situate rain barrels beneath roof drainage gutters to catch excess rain water. You can later use rain barrels for watering the lawn and garden.
French Drains
A French drain is created from ordinary PVC piping.
French drains require quite a bit of work to install, but they are very effective at keeping the soil from becoming flooded and soggy. A French drain is composed of a plastic pipe with tiny holes drilled in it, surrounded by gravel and covered with a weed cloth. Weed cloth is just porous enough to allow moisture (but not soil) to get through to the plastic pipe. Excess rain water flows through the weed cloth, through the gravel and into the holes of the perforated pipe. The pipe redirects the water to a more suitable area for drainage.
Rain Gardens
The bee balm plant flourishes in rain gardens.
Rain gardens are slightly lower than the surrounding landscape, and they collect water that may otherwise ruin properties and storm drains. These gardens are typically created to absorb an overflow of rain water. Rain gardens are usually populated by native perennial plants that receive the benefits of the excess rain water. Rain gardens serve a number of purposes in addition to solving water drainage issues. They are an attractive addition to both urban and rural landscapes as well as a habitat for small local wildlife such as birds.
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