Can you put plants over a French drain?
French Drains as Watersheds The area above and around the trench forms a three-dimensional watershed system. Streamside plants like cardinal flower, rose mallow and a wide variety of ferns grow well along streams and would flourish in an area that serves as a mini-watershed for a single property.
How do you beautify a drainage ditch?
7. Build A Rock Wall. If your drainage ditch is at the end of your driveway, you might like to turn it into a feature by adding a rock wall to house the drainage pipe and contain the garden bed. Add some mulch to the garden bed above the drain and plant with landscaping plants that don’t need too much attention.
How do you make a French drain in a flower bed?
Fill the hole with 2 to 3 feet of coarse gravel, then top with half a foot of sand and half a foot of topsoil. Place dry wells in low spots, at the end of downspouts for protection and at the junction of French drains. Watch the garden when it rains to find out which direction water runs.
What do you do at the end of a French drain?
End the French drain at a low-lying water source, such as a pond or lake, if you have one on your property. If you do end your French drain at a pond or lake, make sure the opening of the French drain sits above the water level. The water will roll down the drain and empty harmlessly into the water.
How do you landscape a French drain?
You can either just leave the area over the drain mulched or plant annuals or a groundcover, or better yet, just leave pea gravel on top. You can divide the pea gravel area fromt the planted area with some steel edging, so that the area stays neat.
How do you make a trench look good?
Trench coats look great styled with jeans and a t-shirt or sweater. It’s a fashion blogger/model-off-duty favourite, so try it on your next day off! You can also play around with the top: dress up the look with a slightly unbuttoned blouse or put a spin on the Canadian tuxedo look by wearing a denim shirt.
How do you fix poor drainage in flower beds?
- Mix in Compost. If your poor drainage area is a relatively small one and not too severe, you can lighten the soil by working in lots of organic matter.
- Grow Water-Loving Plants.
- Build a Rain Garden.
- Create a Bog Garden or Pond.
- Install Drain Tile.
How do you fix a drainage problem in a flower bed?
Mixing loamy topsoil or compost into your flowerbed is a good way to improve drainage. You will need enough soil to cover your flowerbed to a depth of 3 to 6 inches. The best way to add new dirt to your flowerbed is to remove the upper 4 inches of soil from the flowerbed and mix it with the new soil.
How to add drainage to a flower bed?
There are two approaches to adding drainage to a flower bed. The first is to raise the beds so that water cannot settle around the plants. The second is to route the water away through the use of trenches or an underground pipe such as a french drain.
What’s the best way to install a French drain?
Just dig a trench, connect and lay EZ Drain French Drain bundles in the trench, then connect to downstream piping and backfill with soil. Use our free drainage calculators, Home Drainage Center, and NDS Stormwater Drainage mobile app to find the best solution for your specific drainage problem.
Why do you need a French drain in your yard?
Drainage problems in your yard can lead to pooling, mold or water damage in or around your home. Luckily, you can avoid these problems by installing a French drain. A French drain is a trench filled with a perforated pipe and gravel that allows water to drain naturally from your yard.
Where did the name French drain come from?
Building French drains has been a method to redirect the flow of water since the 19th century: the name comes not from France, but from Henry Flagg French of Concord, Mass., who popularized the system.