Lots to catch you up on, so here we go. First up, the problem that I mentioned in my last post is drainage. Right now I have a large area in the back yard that is mostly a muddy mess.
Our house is located at the bottom of a hill, so we catch the runoff from our neighbors. Much of the back yard is sloped enough that the water continues to roll on to the pond behind us, but there is a relatively flat area that tends to collect water and become very soggy. It remains that way for several days after a good rain.
Compounding the problem is my very large Doberman, Phoenix, who keeps the grass worn down in this area so that it just stays muddy. Consequently, we have to clean his paws every time he comes in from the back yard, and I can’t tell you how tired I am of that.
My solution is going to be:
- Install a french drain (marked by the white spray paint in the picture)
- Run the gutter downspout discharge underground
- Add dirt to the area to give it a gentle slope
- Re-sod
- Create a paving surface for the high impact area around the bottom step of the deck
I have already started on one phase of the project – running the gutter discharge underground. I chose to begin with the two downspouts by the corner of the deck. I bought 4″ corrugated pipe, and I’m running it to the back of my property (right under the fence) where there is a small ditch leading to the pond behind us.
When digging this trench, I ran into an oak stump. Although diminutive in size, it was impossible to move. I severed three large roots and dug a good sized hole around it, but it wouldn’t budge one inch. I broke my pick trying to pry it up. I finally gave in and called someone to grind it with a stump grinder. While he was at it, I had him get rid of 4 other stumps in my yard, so $200 later I was back in the trench.
I don’t yet have pictures of the finished product, but there isn’t much to see (obviously). I have one more downspout to run underground, but that will probably be completed later this summer. I have done some work on the entrance garden, and I’ll show you that in the next post.
