Swales

A swale is little more than a man-made slope with a gentle depression at the base. Swales are typically designed to route water harmlessly away from foundations and other areas that can suffer damage from poor drainage. The depth and length of a swale can vary, with some being nothing more than a short depression and others cutting across the property in a longer line.

Some swales may route toward a storm drain or a drainage ditch, while other designs simply slow the water until it can be safely absorbed into the ground. Water-tolerant plants are sometimes planted in swales to aid with absorption and to slow erosion.

Design Options

One design option for a longer swale is to turn the depression into a dry creek bed, which is lined with decorative stones. When rain falls, the water flows into the creek bed where it can slowly leech into the ground without causing problems. A perforated drainage pipe is sometimes buried in the bottom of a swale, even in a swale built with a dry creek bed, to further help with drainage.

Rain Gardens

A rain garden is a beautiful way to address a drainage problem in your landscaping. Rain gardens are an excellent choice for areas that are highly visible or that are too small for the installation of a proper swale or creek bed. A properly installed rain garden can drain standing water safely within 48 hours of collection.

First, a shallow rain water catch basin is put in. It is then filled with fast-drying soil and plants that thrive in wet conditions and use a lot of water. Rain gardens are an excellent choice for areas that are highly visible or that are too small for the installation of a proper swale or creek bed.

Design Options

Perennial plants are best suited to a rain garden. Plants like sedges, milkweed, and mallow are just a few of the options available for a beautiful and varied garden bed. Choose plants of varying colors, textures, and heights for the best effect. The edges of the bed are often lined with a border of decorative stones, but you can opt for brick edging if you prefer a more formal look. The purpose of the border is to help contain collected water until it has time to be absorbed into the ground.

Permeable Paving

Sometimes water collects in areas that you prefer to be hardscaped, such as on a patio, a driveway, or across a path. Eventually, the ponding water will break down the paving if it isn't addressed. One of the simplest solutions is to switch to permeable paving for your hardscaping needs.

Permeable paving consists of pavers that have small gaps or open joints. They are installed over a bed of quick-draining substrate, typically consisting of gravel and sand. Moisture seeps into the openings instead of pooling on the surface, so ponding no longer occurs.

Design Options

The pavers come in a range of shapes and colors so you can easily find options that complement your landscape and your home. There are pavers rated for driveway use as well as more decorative options suitable for paths and patios. One attractive option is the open paver, which has an open grid design that allows you to grow grass or another durable groundcover within the paving. The result is more green space and optimum drainage.

Contact Smith Irrigation & Landscaping for more help with drainage on your property.