waterlogged garden

[fanacapan]

Two years ago we laid bark over m,embrane in the garden but this year with all the extra rain it has become waterlogged an impossible to walk on . Any ideas please as to what we did wrong or how to rectify it

[woofgang]

Two or three possiblities spring to mind. First (and please don't yell) did you lay a water permeable membrane? second, if it was a fine pored membrane, then the pores might have become clogged with the bark as it has disintegrated, third the ground underneath might be saturated with water and unable to take more away, especially if it is a play or patio area where use will compact the underlying soil and make drainage worse. Solutions? either way improve the drainage of the underlying soil, if its either of the first two, also replace your membrane. My garden has become more liable to flood a t one end due to neighbours paving over areas of theirs and leaving less overall natural soakaway. There's not a lot you can do about that it but it might help you to understand what has happened. Generally, also this has been a wetter winter. hope this helps

[Janetex]

I asked my horticulturalist friend - he said "With a spade, dig around it or areas of it as in two/three circles; within those circles take out chunks (i.e. as in pieces of cake), then refill with fresh, dry, sandy soil - and not so much bark". Hope it works for you.

[fanacapan]

Many thanks Wolfgang& Janetex,Perhaps I should go for decking instead and forget the bark on the parts that are walked on regulary. The garden is south facing and very hot so didn't want to go with slabs or concrete. I did have stones but as am disabled found them hard to walk on as well as hot. Our soil is mainly clay which is why drainage is so bad I suspect.

[HeadGardener]

If you can get hold of a copy of Telegraph Gardening from Saturday February 7th, 2004, have a look at page 3 and article right up your street. "Ways to drain rain from your plains". With winters expected to become wetter it is essential on waterlogged ground to improve soil drainage. Drainage of a soil can be carried out in a number of ways, depending on the severity the problem. Hope you manage to track down a copy of this article.

[fanacapan]

Thanks HeadGardener. Will try and get a copy