Update on Woodland

This was taken in March of this year. It is clear that the water is coming from under the fence. I have french drains and surface drains all along the property lines which takes the water to the sewer. When it rains for days and the rains are heavy the drains can not handle my water and his and this is what I deal with..
It makes my blood boil,especially because the city does not enforce the laws regarding water run off issues and soil errosion issues. I have a lot invested in my garden and I would hate to see it all ruined
by this . Lost many roses bushes due to this. I think it is time for Judge Judy!

Water from the fence makes its way down and around the foundation of my garden shed..where I have another drain!!
It's nut's! Lost two rose bushed here and have replaced them with bog plants for now.
By the way tilly..your Lupines are beautiful! Do the bloom the first year? I have planted some starts and some from seed. All looking healthy and growing well, but no indications of flowers?

Bea - hope the city can do something to get this guy to put in a drain. I'd make copies of these pictures and post them to his front door every rainy morning.

I have done that..he just doesn't get it. I have sent files of photo's to the city & met with them numerous times as well. I have asked the builder to get help from a soil engineer. He wants none of that. His most recent plan was to put plywood against my fence to keep the water out. I told him that the weight of the water against the fence would knock it down and only divert the water to the side neighbors yards. Then he came up with a retaining wall. Same outcome..water going to the side neighbors. The only solution in my opinion is a drain to divert the water to the sewer, or a near by culvert . All I know is that I will be in their face until something is done about this. They should have never built homes here as it was once wetlands and I have been told that the flow down the left side of his house is part of a natural flow of the area. Why are they building houses in that case. This was not disclosed to me when I bought this house. The drains I have in place will handle my water load...but not the neighbors . I have been keeping a careful watch since we are having heavy rain again..
Sorry to ramble..just need to get this off my chest sometimes.

Tilly and Bea, I feel for your flooding woes having just spent a lot to reroute and re-cement our parking pad that didn't drain adequately and flooded our garage routinely in even a modest NW rain. Unfortunately, after the work and weeks of muddy tear up: it still floods due to one little area- a square foot- of inadequate grading of a new sidewalk at the garage entry corner. Don't even get me started.... I remain a queen of the cement floor squeegie and know the neglectful cement guy's number by heart. Still waiting for him to come 'fix' it.

Tilly, Miss Mary Mary has buds! I think the tag along plant is a run of the mill Sedum Autumn Joy. Destroy or grow at will. I vaguely recall that there were some seedlings of it in one pot and apparently you got that one!

One dog facing the muddy pit of the removed parking area in April before the new cement went in. Thank heaven those days are over!

Wow Bea, that is sad to have a neighbor like that, not fair. My place is are our own doing, we had 28 trees removed 15 years ago, some of trees and the roots where where dug up and removed, which left the the ground unstable, while what was under ground would decay and to redo the grading and fill where needed, which we have not had the money to do. but my DH did but drains in, but someone ran over them and messed it up.

Annie I should destroy its friend, is it that bad?

Bummer on the drains getting damaged. I would be underwater by now without them. Been rainy most of the day...not looking good
on that back lot. Remain trench almost full just from these past 24 hours.. next location my yard which is already saturated. Keep those fingers and toes crossed for some sunshine tomorrow!

No, not bad at all. It is a common taller sedum that will give you dark pink flat heads of bloom come August or so. Very easy to propagate. You might tease out the leaflets and roots and replant in sun/part sun. Can't hurt. It is very easy to grow and control, your choice. And way overpriced at this link!~ I used to cut the flower heads and mix with a huge pink and yellow dahlia- very nice!
http://www.naturehills.com/product/autumn_joy_sedum.aspx

Bea, there's got to be a solution for you somewhere. Building codes? Environmental surface water runoff issues at the city or county level? Construction permit/grading permit violations at the city or county level?

That flooding is just a shame and a destructive one, for not only your garden, but possibly home damage if it doesn't get solved. Have you brought it to public attention to put some heat on City Hall? You stay on it! I well understand the intricate dance of neighbors and such issues affecting all and the morass of county legislation and the do-nothings that supposedly enforce it. What a mess. You have my complete empathy.

Poochella.. I have been in the cities face for 18+ months on this issue. They tell me that the state has final say on what they can make this builder do. That local and city regulations are outweighed
by state law and regulations. Since this is previous wetlands, natural flow apparently can be allowed to occur and builders are not required to "stop the natural flow". I have learned also that the geological studies on this development were done some 15 years ago during a drought period. How stupid is that! This drama goes on and on. Thanks for your kind words..I am not one to give up until the job is done..Hopefully I can report good news soon.

I have my own problems, I don't live in the city, and that is not right for a neighbor to do that and not take responsibility for there actions. I can only blame myself for mine. Just not right.

Right on, Tilly Mary. Personal responsibility is in short supply these days.

Bea, I have no doubt you've been at it from every angle possible. State legislators or reps since you've been quoted 'the state laws supercede...'? Attorney general? Cease and desist order against the neighbor? BBBureau against the contractor? Geez, if we so much as sneeze without a permit and it threatens the salmon or surface water runoff quality, someone will be levying a fine in hours to days around here.

I just know how depressing and seemingly unending such a problem can be, so hang in there. Our situation was water supply, not excess water in the yard, but I've no doubt similar looping laws and endless red tape abounds in either case, in either state, county or city.

Have you considered a huge pump throwing the water dead center onto the neighbors' deck or back yard as a little visual reminder of the problem? very evil grin.... it would not be helpful but possibly soothing. I did a thing, a bad thing with a hideously loud stereo aimed at unforgivingly uncooperative neighbors and KZOK "Seattle's Best Rock" one year.... shame on me. They were retired, gray haired non-rockers. Those were desperate times, but it sure felt good because they were uncaring, unfeeling jerks. They moved shortly after. Can't imagine why. They don't get KZOK in their new location on the other side of WA. LOL Not my best behavior, I'll admit.

I love your idea of spitting the water back into his yard. I just bought a extra pump for my pond. I could put it in one of the surface drain wells and shoot it back to his yard. The only problem is that it would all come back down into my yard unless I could get a very long tube and hook it into his rain gutters. But then again, I would have to pay the electric to run the pump. Geeze...will keep plugging away dealing with the state & local folks who by the way our tax dollars are paying their salaries. Useless!

Bea - put up the retaining wall - let it go to the side neighbours, there is safety and power in numbers. Sorry - I'm big on personal responsibility too - but sometimes you need the troupes to back you.

work with it instead of against it and build a fabulous water feature stream with a dry/wet planting?

laurie, I have a fabulous water feature and need to keep the neighbors mess out of it. I am into 5K worth of extra drain work already just to accomodate the neighbors problem and protect my yard & home. It is crazy.

(Sorry, I was being funny).

That water feature is very beautiful. WOW

laurie..no apology necessary. I just get grumpy on this subject!!
just very frustrated with the whole mess... :(

Back to the tread.
Tas, has change form again. to cool. Brightens the spot up.

Oh my, that waterfeature is splendid Bea. And the heron: real or not?

Tilly, I love your purple lupines and wisteria. I got a new dahlia named "Purple Haze" this year. If you have a fairly sunny spot in the Purple Haze garden, I think you should have it for namesake alone.

The Heron is artificial, made as a decoy to keep other's away.
Tilly..sorry about taking your thread last night.Guess I needed to get off some steam. The dog's just won't listen,show no sympathy ..they rather take a nap than listen to Mommy grumble!

No problem happens all the time with us, I just met I was going back to to give a update, SORRY maybe should have said it differant.

Hay all the order list is out for the Iriseshttp://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/852794/#new

The PNW threads get sidetracked alot! I'm sorry too Tilly, we got sidetracked with water woes, but glad you posted an update on your fabulous bed and its progress.

I can't get the link to ??? list to work. Can you repost it?

Try this
http://davesgarden.com/tools/mail/pmail.php?q=bleek

Oopsie, that gives me a blank Dmail page as if sending Dmail to "bleek."

I just got it too, dont get it see if I can try something.

I hope this works.
http://davesgarden.com/tools/mail/pmail.php?q=bleek

Annie I cant get a link, it may be closed, go ahead a dmail him.

You said above "the order list is out for the...." and then came the link Mary. I don't have any idea what I'd Dmail bleek about. What kind of order list is it?

Its for Irises , I so tryed to link, but got nowhere, on one of are treads, Pics show the link and I can't find it, but I hope he will get back to to.
I just we back and found it, it says its closed, here is the original tread.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/852794/

This message was edited Jun 5, 2008 11:35 PM

I just reread this tread, and I type like a moron, Brain goes faster than fingers, LOL
This will be my new iris bed, in front of the pileings, go out about say 4'
And wrap around the Maple.

Differant angle
But I don't think 51 plants will all fit there. Wo is me

Annie, this is going to be awesome when the lilies bloom.

This is one I didn't post, DH and new wagon, He's so proud like
Just had a tree come down.

Not a tree but a big branch of my very old maple, busted the glass from one car, dented the other (which are going to junk yard) and the soft branches hit my Bro's car. Thank God, it could of been worse and taken my pump house or the GH

That shed in center is my pump house.

This message was edited Jun 9, 2008 8:13 PM

Another shot.
Thats my Bro's car on the right.

Tilly you type fine. Those daylilies are growing gangbusters. If you don't have many blooms this year, hang on for next. They look great.

Love the DH's wagon and how the "O" and M" of the DG.com logo outline his eyes like Elton John glasses LOL! He looks justifiably proud, and a bit like 'Paul Bunyan meets Elton John.'

I was setting here, and down loading the pics I took a few min. before and the wind just hit me when I went out. took the pics ran back in.
When this gust of wind took the branch.

Annie, I just had to see what you saw, and now I can't stop laughing.
and you are right. To funny He does look cool. LOL

The wind is just awful, in Nov. I know it not in June, If I lose power, see ya tomorrow ^_^