Here is a picture from the other side of where I want to build the rain garden. I think I could get it at least 7 or 8 feet away from the house, is this too close? My property line ends where the fence changes color, but I think I could make the garden narrow at the downspout and bring it out toward the drainage ditch to bring the water that way and keep a nice sized garden on my property. I hope this is possible!
I think the key is to make sure that there's not ever going to be standing water up next to your foundation. 7-8 feet distance may be fine but you need to think about what happens if you have several really big storms and have a lot of water, where is it going to go if it overflows the area that you're planning for the raingarden. If there's a low point where water can flow out and away from the house so it'll never back up all the way to your foundation then you're fine, but if there's not then I probably wouldn't put it there.
I covered most of your questions in your earlier threads, about plants, ground prep etc. I need to warn you that you seem to be under the impresion that you can just dig and move soil about to make a wet garden wherever you fancy it rather than working where you already have it, as stated by Ecrane, you cant cause excess water to run into other areas of your land, and if it does, what is going to stop it from breaching into neighbours property who may not want their garden flooded, even just now and again, in extreme cases, because YOU changed the drainage system, without proper and certified qualifications to understand how water and drainage works, you could end up in court, I am giving exteme causes, but it is really worth thinking about, also you need to check what the developer did underground at this drainage ditch, like soakaways/gravel drains, underground drains ect, and if any. I am only advising you as we have rain water outlets on our property, and by law, I am never allowed to alter, reroute or halt this run off system by fact that it has been put there for this very specific reason, so you learn to garden around it, believe me, when water starts to move/run, nothing is going to stop it and it dont run in a straight line or curve where you want it to go, you will need profesional advice to reroute water, it can be done, but with the greatest of care, hope this helps you a bit, dont want to scare you in any way, just want you to understand any hidden probs you may have or create or cause damage even to your own property, I would work with what you have, you might not be able to see all your water plants from your window or lawn, but a strole around your garden and to come across a little gem like a wet garden is so much nicer than no planting at all, you could make it into a secret outside room to be enjoyed as you come across it.
Hope this helps you out a bit, good luck, WeeNel.
Thank you for letting me know the pitfalls! I will do as suggested and plan, think and prepare the ground this year, then plant next spring.
I'm pretty sure excess water will go into the storm drain (my husband has corrected me from calling it a drainage ditch) that is between the two properties, like it always has (shown in the foreground of the picture). I just hope to stop some of it and feed a nice rain garden before it gets there.
If we get too much rain I imagine it would just overflow my berm and head to the storm drain. In the past when we get too much rain this little gully between our houses gets standing water that spreads from the storm drain, so I'm hoping to stop that from happening by planting a pretty little garden. I think this might help my property AND my neighbor's property, right? Maybe I can convince her to plant a rain garden on the other side of the storm drain if mine works out. Aren't these good spots for rain gardens, or have I been misled by the things I've read?
This message was edited Jun 10, 2007 9:55 AM
Good girl, work with what you have, safer, less worries and much more enjoyable, add to these, less cost, you might want to add stones or a low barrier at the point where any run off water will flow into your storm drain so it wont take all your garden soil with it, if it starts to flow or move. You will soon have a picture of a garden to admire, just take your time and choose your planting scheme with care, colour and hight, it will look fab, you can always ask more questions re plants and care of when you are ready,lets know how it goes and good luck,WeeNel.
