Sustainable Garden Drainage Solutions For Better Water Management
The UK is experiencing heavier rainfalls and more flash floods than ever before due to climate change. This is an ongoing issue and one that is set to only get worse as time goes on, causing homeowners a lot of stress.
With these extreme weather conditions, gardens across the country quickly become waterlogged and inaccessible throughout the seasons. Not only is this damaging to your home and garden, but it can also be expensive. After all the work you have done to achieve your dream garden, the last thing you want is to see it washed away by the weather.
Luckily, there is a solution in the form of sustainable garden drainage. Sustainable drainage solutions, like rain gardens and soakaways, can be both effective and attractive with the right design.
As a leading landscaper, Landesigns understands what it takes to create safe, effective outdoor spaces that look great. In this post, we are sharing some of the best sustainable garden drainage solutions so you can combat climate change effectively.
The Benefits Of Sustainable Garden Drainage: Why They Matter For UK Gardens
Without effective drainage, your garden can quickly become waterlogged. The wet conditions of the UK, alongside the increased risk of flash floods due to climate change, can cause a lot of issues in your garden.
Waterlogging can cause damage to your plants and soil structure, damaging what is already there as well as ruining the condition of your garden for future work. By waterlogging soil and impacting organic conditions, you may find it more difficult to grow anything in your garden from here on out.
As well as ruining soft landscaping, water damage can also impact hardscaping and garden features. Foundational damage can lead to instability, making your garden uneven and dangerous. This kind of structural damage is usually only remedied by complete replacements or renovations, which can be expensive.
Finally, as well as the personal impact of poor drainage, it can also cause wider issues across the region and the country as a whole. Without effective drainage, public systems become overworked and less effective. This is a particularly big issue in urban areas.
With effective garden drainage, you can actively combat these issues as well as experience additional benefits. Not only does sustainable garden drainage improve conditions across the country, as well as reduce damage to your garden, but it can also support local wildlife and biodiversity.
In the long run, sustainable garden drainage can also help reduce energy output and household bills, as it saves water. There are various benefits of sustainable garden drainage, making this an ideal solution in all kinds of outdoor spaces.
Sustainable Garden Drainage Ideas For All Outdoor Spaces
There are various ways you can improve drainage in the garden without compromising the design and appeal of your outdoor space. Sustainable garden drainage is an effective way to ensure long-term benefits and keep your outdoor space safe and attractive, even in the changing conditions of climate change.
No matter what kind of outdoor space you have, there are various sustainable drainage solutions to consider, such as:
Create A Rain Garden
A rain garden is a highly effective sustainable drainage solution that requires you to create a shallow, planted area in the garden. This area, referred to as the rain garden, is designed to collect and absorb rainwater runoff from various elements across the home and garden, such as driveways, the roof, patios, and other hard surfaces.
Instead of water running down into drains, which can lead to downstream flooding, a rain garden slows it down and filters water to reduce pressure on centralised drainage systems. Due to the soil and plants included in a rain garden, the amount of water heading to central drainage systems is filtered and reduced drastically. Water instead supports plants and local soil conditions, as opposed to being wasted and filling centralised systems.
To create a rain garden:
- Build A Shallow Base: Rain gardens should be installed on a shallow base, usually designed in a basin shape with a gentle slope to collect rainwater and support water runoff. Aim to create your rain garden at around 10–20 cm deep for the most effective garden drainage.
- Add Free-Draining Soil: Soil drainage can be improved by including sand or gravel, as this helps the water infiltrate deep into the rain garden.
- Drought-Tolerant Plants: While rain gardens are primarily going to be wet, it is important that the plants chosen for these areas can withstand both wet and dry conditions. Rain gardens may flood following storms or heavy rain showers, but are designed to effectively drain water so they can completely dry out in between. Plants such as Siberian Iris, Astilbe (False Goat’s Beard), and Carex grasses are ideal for rain garden conditions.
Garden Soakaways
Another great sustainable garden drainage solution is soakaways, which can be installed into any kind of outdoor space and adjusted to suit your garden design. Similar to rain gardens in this sense, soakways also improve drainage by collecting rainwater and runoff.
These are simple but effective drainage solutions which collect rainwater through pipes or drainage channels to avoid overwhelming local drainage systems or flooding the garden. These sustainable garden drainage channels are essential underground pits which are either filled with clean, coarse gravel or modern plastic soakway crates to collect excess water.
Soakways can be professionally installed to ensure maximum effectiveness and should be placed at least 5 metres from buildings and structures to avoid foundational damage. The long-term benefits of these sustainable garden drainage solutions make the initial investment worthwhile, and they can offer ongoing support during these times of climate change.
Well-installed soakways can last decades without any additional intervention, making them a great long-term drainage solution for your home and garden.
Permeable Hardscaping Materials
Traditional garden surfaces, such as pathways, patios, and driveways, can also become part of your sustainable garden drainage with the right materials. Permeable hardscaping, such as gravel, resin, and specialised block paving, all promote water runoff and effective drainage.
With these materials used across your landscape, you can prevent flooding and standing water issues. These materials, like other forms of garden drainage, allow water to soak through, where it filters into the ground. This avoids flooding, even during heavy rainfall, and ensures that local drainage systems are not overwhelmed.
Working with the organic angles of your landscape, permeable hardscaping materials can be used to ensure better flow throughout the garden. For example, with sloped gardens, permeable paving materials will be used at both the high and low points to avoid flooding and drainage issues.
Rainwater Harvesting
Rainwater harvesting is a great way to not only promote better garden drainage, but also help reduce water waste. By harvesting rainwater, you have a constant supply of water to use across your garden without any additional cost to yourself or the planet.
Using water butts, which can be attached to drain pipes, or underground storage tanks, water can be collected during storms or heavy rainfall to be reused later. Rain is a common occurrence across the UK, and is getting more so due to climate change, meaning you have a constant supply of water to use across your garden throughout the year.
This collected rainwater will not flood your garden or drain into local drainage systems, but instead will be collected in tanks or butts. This water can be used to hydrate your garden and planting areas, or as part of irrigation systems.
With rainwater harvesting, you can effectively reduce the risk of flooding by promoting effective garden drainage, as well as using less water. This can lead to reduced water waste and lower water bills, saving both time and money without compromising the health of your landscape.
Conclusion
Sustainable garden drainage is not just a good idea, but an essential change for UK homeowners. Ensuring your garden can effectively drain water prevents flooding and issues in local drainage systems, which are only going to get worse due to climate change.
With sustainable garden drainage solutions such as rain gardens, soakways, and permeable materials, you can ensure your landscape remains safe and attractive throughout the seasons. Drainage does not have to come at the price of an attractive outdoor space, and working with professional landscapers like Landesigns can ensure this.
We install and build outdoor features to complement all kinds of properties. We can install drainage solutions and work with your garden designer to ensure a sustainable, well-designed layout.
Contact Us Today
To learn more about our services or request a consultation with the team, please contact us today.
FAQs
How much space do I need for a rain garden?
Rain gardens can be as small as a few square metres – the key is designing these areas to match the scale of your garden and the amount of water runoff you want to manage.
How long does a soakway last?
With the right installation, a garden soakaway can last between 20 and 30 years before it needs a refresh or renovation.
Can I combine several sustainable garden drainage solutions in my outdoor space?
Yes, it is a great idea to combine sustainable drainage solutions with other options to create a safe environment. For example, rain gardens can be paired with permeable paving solutions and water butts to prevent flooding, ensure cohesive design, and increase sustainability in the garden.