Gardener shares essential task you must do if your garden has flooded or your lawn is waterlogged after the heavy rain
WEATHER forecasts predict heavy rain will continue across the UK this week.
And many areas have flash-flooding warnings, following parts of the UK experiencing one month’s rain in 48 hours on the weekend.
If your garden has already flooded, or is looking water-logged, there are a few things you can do to help it recover.
Fabulous spoke exclusively to Andy Tudbury, Head Gardener at Lincolnshire’s Belvoir Castle, who shared his tips.
If your lawn is partly or fully covered by water, it is likely to be waterlogged.
However, not all waterlogged lawns are visibly underwater.
A lawn that is squelchy to walk on, has a layer of puddled soil near the surface, has a lot of moss growth, or is turning yellow, may also be waterlogged.
To fix a waterlogged or flooded lawn, Andy suggested spiking or aerating the grass.
Spiking or aerating a lawn allows rainwater to flow into the ground more easily, rather than puddling on the surface.
Before doing this, wait until the standing water has drained away, or in small areas just sweep it off the lawn into the borders.
If your using a garden form to spike the lawn, simply go along evenly and press it into the lawn to make holes.
B&Q also sells a basic Hollow Tine Aerator for £12.99 or a Garden Spike Roller Lawn Aerator for £24.
Otherwise, you can get specialist aeration tools which removes plugs of soil and leaves holes behind. Ideally, you want the holes to be 10–15cm deep.
Once the holes have been made, brush a free-draining ‘top dressing’, such as horticultural sand, into the holes.
And if your lawn is prone to waterlogging, you should spike it every few years in autumn to prevent the need for emergency action after wet winters.
Andy said: “If your problem is serious you may need to contact your local expert in drainage who can advise, and survey your existing drains.
Why do gardens flood or get waterlogged?
Andy Tudbury, Head Gardener at Lincolnshire’s Belvoir Castle revealed why.
Apart from the obvious – lots of rain – there are many contributing factors.
Location
Andy said: “The overall reasons for flooding are varied and in many cases are unique to each particular garden – some are caused by the local river or stream bursting its banks, or housing being built on what was once classed as flood plains.
“Lack of maintenance to your drainage systems can also sometimes be the root cause.”
Garden design
“Also the current trend in garden design for low maintenance spaces can sometimes contribute – including having artificial turf, and hard landscaping.
“Plants also ‘drink’ a lot of water so if you remove your lawn, hedge, shrubs and trees etc and increase the size of your patio, you have to consider where all that extra water will now go – if you do not allow for sufficient drainage, it will more than likely sit on the surface of your garden.”
Poor soil quality
Compacted soil, perhaps from heavy machinery (especially after building work), or simply from being walked or played on regularly can reduce the amount of water being absorbed.
The soil type can also cause waterlogging – for example, heavy clay soil naturally drains poorly.
It also depends how your soil was prepared before the lawn was created.
“It may after all just be caused by a simple blockage but they can also advise if you need to install soakaway crates in the garden or perforated land drains.
“In minor situations where your flower or vegetable borders are suffering with drainage issues, the digging in of a good quantity of horticultural grit can help.”
You can buy a bag of grit from B&Q for as little as £6.
Andy shared that “adding organic matter or compost may help aerate the soil to aid drainage and overall may ease the saturation of the soil”.
“In damp areas of soil, consider what plants you use, and add the ones who love having their feet wet or damp,” he advised.
Plants that love wet soil:
Iris – Moisture-loving iris’ are hardy perennials that produce colourful blooms in late spring and early summer.
Cattails – grow profusely along most of the waterways in the UK – they are perfect for a wet garden.
Swamp Milkweed – is a thick-stemmed perennial with dense stems and narrow, mid-green leaves up to 15cm long. It produces clusters of dark purplish-pink flowers from mid-summer to early autumn.
Marsh marigold – is a large buttercup-like flower that grows in wet places. It has very large, rounded, scalloped leaves.
Lobelia cardinalis – or cardinal flower is a brilliantly colourful, damp-loving perennial that blooms throughout summer and into autumn.