[Jeanieblue]

Hi, we've a pocket sized lawn which completely floods after heavy rain. I know there is heavy clay not too far down, we can see it on the beach when the sand has been scoured off. It doesn't help that we have concrete paths on two sides, and a slightly built up garden down at the bottom.  This makes our drainage system higher than the lawn level. We plan to revamp the garden completely, demolish the garage and make a small kitchen garden. But obviously I need to deal with this problem of drainage. Can anyone give me some ideas that won't cost the earth!!  Thanks, Jean   PS Still too wet and windy to do anything down the allotment - can't wait to get started. One reason for reorganising the back garden is to make room for a greenhouse !!!

[muntjac]

possible use here for french drains ...narrow  trench dug down to a couple feet and filled with gravel with perhaps a run off to another area where it wil soak away . search google for french drains for a detailed plan of what to do and you can hopefully adapt it to suit  

[WG.]

possible use here for french drains

Golf courses use them a lot.  So if you know any greenkeepers, Jeanieblue, they'll help you out with placing them optimally.

[Trillium]

In Canada, we use the french drain system and on top of the gravel we lay a length of black plastic drain pipe (called tiling and made of recycled plastic) which has small perforations for water to sneak into for lead off. The pipe itself is covered with a nylon 'sock' to keep dirt from getting into the pipe should the gravel below become clogged with soil over the years. If you have this in the UK, it's an added guarantee and wouldn't be too pricey considering you're doing only a small yard - and doing it yourself.  The extra pipe (on top of gravel) is mandatory by law here for all housing and all septic systems, and farmers by the hundreds are now 'tiling' their fields with these pipes for better drainage. In fact, untiled fields are now in the minority. Whatever system you decide on, it does take a few years for the water to find it's way into the trenches and pipes so be patient.  

[ziggywigs]

I've used the french drain system in garden too as on a hill and water can come down if rains excessively.

If you use the french drain system make sure you connect to your surface water drain....you can't just pass the problem on to your neighbours garden.