MAKE YOUR GARDEN FLOOD RESILIENT

Four easy drainage projects to manage heavy rain and beautify your property.

The gardens of Auckland have taken a hammering over the last few weeks with some extreme weather events. These four easy drainage projects will help.

From boggy to beautiful – the field drain

If certain areas of your property seem to flood easily, installing a field drain below ground will help dissipate the flow. Before digging any trenches, make sure you’re well away from any existing underground lines. Ideally your trench should run at a slight downhill grade, so the water flows evenly. Even if you cannot achieve a downwards flow, simply installing the drain is going to help draw water down from the surface pooling.

Jakmat – a permeable solution for paths and driveways

Jakmat is an eco-friendly solution made from recycled plastic. It’s a more permeable alternative to concrete and strong enough to use for driveways. Base aggregates and sand are laid over the problem muddy area, then Jakmat is laid and filled with pebbles giving a designer look at the finish. Central Landscapes Avondale are currently offering a 10% discount on Jakmat during March.

Wrangle the rain with a backyard raingarden

Drainage solutions can be beautiful – raingardens are a pleasing combination of natural materials that function as drains but look amazing. Choose a gently sloping location where the water naturally drains. Raingardens are essentially a soakage pit with sloping sides and a raised edge on the lower edge. The pit is filled with raingarden soil mix and topped with a heavy mulch. Plant hardy native plants or grasses into the mix to disguise the fact that this is a clever drain option at work.

Urban wetland - planting New Zealand’s most water hungry plants in boggy areas

Sometimes the most sustainable landscaping solution is to embrace the wet. Turn that boggy patch into a mini urban wetland where water-hungry plants will thrive. New Zealand grasses such as Carex virgata or Carex secta, or the New Zealand reed, oi-oi, will easily cope with inundation from time to time. Add boulders, rocks and pebbles for visual interest.

Visit Avondale Central Landscapes for advice and solutions to your drainage problems. We’re open seven days and deliver across central Auckland. Or grab one of our free loan trailers!

CENTRAL LANDSCAPES AVONDALE, 419 Rosebank Road, T: 09 828 5533, Facebook: @CLSAvondale, www.centrallandscapes.co.nz or