Do you have a water drainage system that you think makes your landscaping unattractive? Most people want their lawns to look beautiful, but that cannot be possible when your water drainage system takes over and makes your lawn look uninteresting, or it creates soggy areas that result in pools of water. Your lawn is one of the first things that visitors and people who drive by see. The following ideas will help make your landscape look more attractive and will help you create a yard you are proud of.
Decorative Water Drainage Solutions
Use Landscaping Rocks to Create a Fountain If you have an area around a downspout that is unattractive, using beautiful landscaping rocks to create a fountain can make it more eye-catching. The sound of water flowing down the rocks can also create a peaceful environment.
Construct a Rain Garden If you have a low spot that tends to collect water and there is not enough slope to drain it with just a creek bed, consider turning that soggy patch into a rain garden. Rain gardens are intended to catch rainfall and are typically filled with water-loving plants such as hostas, ferns, and decorative mosses that dry out saturated areas. A rain garden can also be the ending point of a downspout, making that area more attractive.
Create a Swale Swales are depressions that follow the outline around the base of a slope, guiding storm water from one area to another. Swales strain runoff along the way by letting it to sink into the soil. Plants that are located on a swale’s slightly sloping bank, as well as down the center of the channel itself, take up a lot of the water. Fast-draining soil is also key and adding a perforated pipe that is laid in gravel underneath can also help handle heavy water flow. You can make your swale attractive by lining them with river rock. Another option is to use sedges and grasses or even native plants along the sides.
Dig a Creek Bed When you have a soggy spot in your yard that a downspout extension cannot fix, an artificial creek bed might be a good option for you. A creek bed is designed to draw water away from low spots and normally involves digging the soil into a long, shallow trench and filling it with gravel and decorative rocks. As long as your yard has the right downward slope, the creek bed will basically act as a slide for runoff to escape through. As an added bonus, the creek bed filled with gravel and decorated rocks will create an attractive look to your landscape.
Design a Small Side Yard Garden Under the Downspout Many times, the area around the downspout is a sight for sore eyes. If you want to spruce it up, consider creating a small side yard garden. One idea that could make this spot more attractive would be to add stone edgers along the outline of the flowerbed. You can add plants and flowers of your liking, such as hostas and impatiens. Adding decorative rocks will also make it look even more beautiful.
Build a Decorative Rain Barrel with a Planter
Another way to disguise an unattractive downspout is to build a decorative rain barrel and add a planter to it. Adding a rain barrel is the perfect way to go green. It uses captured rainwater to water the garden, lawn, or even houseplants. You will need to make sure you add a faucet in order to fill up watering cans or to attach a garden hose. Also, adding a bottom drain with a garden hose adapter will allow you to cap it, then drain the barrel completely as needed. Adding an overflow port would also be necessary, as you can attach a hose to divert water overflow to a desired location. There are many different designs that you can use. You can create your own, ask a professional for advice, or look online for ideas. It is important that you are happy with how your landscape looks. If you are experiencing negative outcomes from your water drainage system and need ideas as to how you can make it more appealing, call St. Louis Select Landscaping. We can help you come up with solutions and even put those solutions into place for you. Call us at (314) 568-6550 so we can discuss what you are envisioning and how we can achieve the outcome you are looking for.
