By Lisa Allen Landscape • • • • • • • 0 Comments

The Best Drainage Options for Your Lawn and Landscape

Drainage Options for Your Lawn

The Best Drainage Options for Your Lawn and Landscape

We all know the saying: April showers bring May flowers. While it’s always exciting to see the colors and beautiful flower beds of Spring, there’s another vital element to be aware of to keep your lawn and landscape healthy. That element is drainage and how improper or inadequate drainage can cause harm.

Why Is Proper Drainage Important?

There are several reasons proper drainage matters when it comes to your outdoor space. One of the most important reasons is soil erosion. If your space does not have proper drainage, the risk of water runoff is high—and when there’s runoff, there’s a risk of soil erosion.

That might not seem like a big deal until you realize that soil erosion can cause foundation issues for your home, which can be dangerous and expensive. Erosion can also harm the health of your lawn and ruin the landscaping you’ve worked so hard to install.

What is erosion? Erosion is what happens when water carries your landscape away. Think about a Spring rainstorm and how the water can flow down a street in search of the gutter. If you watch, you’ll see it brings any debris and litter with it. The same is true in your yard: runoff can pick up and carry away soil. This means all your hard work will be gone. Left over time, erosion can become a substantial problem, not just for your lawn, but for your home.

Fix Erosion with Proper Drainage

The way to stem this troublesome erosion is to ensure that you have proper drainage. There are basically two types of drainage: surface systems and subsurface  systems.

Surface draining systems are options that are on the surface of the ground. They use the power of gravity to pull excess rainfall away from places it might cause harm. Subsurface draining systems are underground but work in a similar way.

Types of Drainage: Surface and Subsurface Options

An example of a surface drain is called a channel drain (which is also sometimes called a trench drain). This type of drain moves water through an underground drainage system—picture the gutters on your home, but used in your yard instead. Channel drains can be used wherever you need to direct overflow to a different area.

An example of a subsurface drain is called a French drain. If you’ve seen a rain barrel, you already have an idea of how a French drain works: excess water is collected and held so it can seep slowly into the ground. The difference is that a French drain is installed in the ground and often includes different layers that help filter impurities out of the water. It also has small holes that allow the water to seep into the ground slowly, while a rain barrel is an enclosed system that requires a spout and/or hose to extract water manually.

The type of drain—or types, depending on your particular space and needs—can be trick to determine and install, but we’re here to help. To learn more, visit our projects page or give us a call. We’d love to work with you.

Benefits of Water Features
By Lisa Allen Landscape • • • • • • • • • • • • • 1 Comment

What Makes a Great Landscaping Water Feature?

Benefits of Landscaping Water Features

When we talk about landscaping, so often we focus on what grows in your space. Lush grass, strong trees, colorful flowerbeds: they’re all common elements of a beautiful lawn and garden space.

But there’s another category of landscaping feature that also deserve as much attention, and that’s water features. Not sure what a water feature is? Most commonly this category includes waterfalls, koi ponds, and natural creek beds.

These water features share some common advantages. They can add visual drama and texture to a space. They can be environmentally friendly by helping to conserve water and by providing safe spaces for friendly critters. And they can improve mental health and provide other documented health benefits.

Read on to learn more about the benefits of incorporating one or more of these elements into your landscaping.

Waterfalls

Let’s start with one of the most striking elements you can add to your outdoor space: a waterfall. Not only can a backyard waterfall be a visually stunning focal point of your landscape; it can also help create a calm space that promotes rest and contemplation. Studies have shown that the sound of moving water can help reduce blood pressure and countless people meditate to the sound of waterfalls via phone app and headphones. Adding this feature to your backyard can help you create an oasis that multi-tasks as both beautiful and therapeutic.

Natural Stones

Deciding which materials to use when constructing a water feature for your landscape is an important decision. Natural stones offer unique advantages. One of those advantages is that water flows differently over and through natural stones than it does over other surfaces like soil or synthetic building materials. This could potentially improve drainage in your yard, which both helps your landscape look better and keeps the living elements of your yard healthy and flourishing.

Koi Ponds

Like waterfalls, koi ponds can bring a calm, relaxing aesthetic to an outdoor space. But a koi pond is more than just a pretty addition; a koi pond becomes a home to countless living species, and not just fish! A koi pond provides a place for snails, crustaceans, and insects. In addition to providing a home to other friendly creatures, koi ponds can help reduce mosquitos in your yard.

Underwater Lighting

In nature it’s sometimes difficult to enjoy water features—like a pond or a waterfall—after sunset because it’s impossible to see. The same doesn’t have to be true of your home landscape. With the right underwater lighting, water features can provide around the clock benefits without being intrusive. Working with experienced landscape architects to determine which underwater lighting sources are best for your particular landscape is the best way to ensure the water feature you choose can be enjoyed as often as possible.

Natural Creek Beds

A natural creek bed can be just as dramatic a focal point as a waterfall or a koi pond. It can also serve to add interest to a space, provide sunny and shady areas, and divide space for different purposes.

Ready to explore the idea of adding a unique, stunning water feature to your landscape? If so, we’d love to share our expertise with you. Contact us to learn more.