Raingarden?!

With a tip of the hat to Susybell, who started the revolution.

I finally got around to calling the city of MLT last week, and I finally chatted with them. As long as its engineered to meet both MLT's stormwater and water quality codes, we can convert our despicable ditch into a front yard raingarden with a drain pipe that will follow the course of the ditch and connect it to the pipe that leads out of the ditch into the detention facility under my neighbor's yard.

YEA!!!!!

NW Gordon has actually seen the darn thing, and can attest to the monstrous size it becomes in my backyard. I now dream: pond, greenhouse, trees (MY trees) and a far gentler slope to the backyard.

I guess I should fully disclose that I am a Licensed Geologist and have done many years of work for King County in the water quality area, and even last fall while in private consulting for a loser company in Bellevue, worked with an engineer designing a plat using raingardens for drainage. I should have thought of it myself, but what the heck.

So I did call an engineer I know who can design it for me, as its all about catchment areas, pipe slopes, and a PE stamp to get it through MLT. Then when I get the permit, it will be 20-40 yards of soil on top of a nicely placed and bedded pipe, and 3 inches of prime compost, to a new backyard!

I have always hated this house (it was my DWs choice) and I never fully understood why. Now I do, it was the despicable ditch. It hindered everything I ever wanted in a property, and it has been a pain in the buttocks to mow!

I will add pictures of the ditch soon so you can get an idea of what I am whining about.

And so now that you can build the raingarden, you can love the house and have your dream! Awesome!

Interesting statement, AD, enormously interpretable! Ooops, sorry, that's workwork.

Glad you finally get to bury the ditch.

Hey, excellent news, and what fun, I got to start a revolution-don't get to do that every day! ;)

Will be interested to follow the progress. :)

All I have to say is COOL!

Yay, now you can injoy your yard.

Here is a shot of the southwest corner of my yard, looking at the late blooming cherry, the south end of the garden concrete wall, the photinia that has to go, and the fine, fine cedar fence I built several years ago.

The ditch should be fairly obvious from top to bottom is probably 6 feet at the cherry tree. The top of the berm at the fence to the ditch is probably 2 feet.

The next shot will look to the left in this picture from under the cherry.

Here's the ditch looking east. Immediately to the otherside of this fence is two pears, a lovely dogwood, willow, and lilac, and the new garden that started it all.

Note the relief. Its about 6 feet to the left side where the gate is in the fence.

Still under the cherry tree, this time looking north. Note that the left hand side is 2-3 feet tall, where the right hand side varies from 6-10 feet tall. The biggest relief is at the fence. Can you see why I want it gone? There is little level ground in my back yard, except under my deck, and just north of the deck.

A shot from the north end of the ditch looking south along it.

Like my dandelions?

Heres a shot to show the height. I worked really hard to hold the camera level. The camera height is about 6 feet. The middle of the image is probably 6 feet up if the camera was level.

It is also a gratuitious shot of Fargesa dracocephla rufa, the lovely clumping bamboo. It is so yellowy right now as it has bamboo mites, and the whole thing needs to get whacked, just in time for new shoots in the spring. Get your divisions now, Sky is already charging $25 for a 1 gallon pot.

A shot of my favorite pipe. The ball is about 6 inches in diameter. One can hear flowing water constantly near the pipe. I can't wait to bury it. Semperviviums can be seen in the rockery, and a pinkish flower from Rhododendron 'Rock Rose'. You can take the Vinca if you want it.

I can see why you want it gone, I would to. Just think what fun you are going to have when it is gone. O boy plants to Robs new make over. LOL