Hello,

I have only just started gardening and need some advice!
We've just move house and have a 50 foot, straight garden with a wall that goes all the way round. We have dug big beds either side and its beginning to look nice. The only problem is that the ground is so wet - the area sits on clay, and there seems to be nowhere for the water to go.
Could anyone suggest any plants that would help to dry up some of the water, or any ideas for stopping this?

Thanks alot,

Natalie

here in yorkshire we are also on clay very very slow to drain .if i was starting again with my back garden i would definitely put in some land drain . not difficult to do just hard work. during this winter we have been flooded(garden that is) 4 times . i`m just grateful it hasn`t frozen. advice for planting would be difficult although bog plants do work maybe a couple of small trees to absorb although even that doesn`t help much as they are at their slowest growth when it is the wettest. i`ve helped a neighbour trench their garden and it did make a big difference

Because this winter has been so wet nearly everyone's soil is very wet at the moment so you may just find the situation improves as the season progresses. I am a consultant to a garden that is so boggy it is unbelievable during the winter months but it dries right out in the summer.
Clay soils are very nutritious and if handled correctly can be excellent. Keep adding plenty of organic matter as this will help to aggregate the clay particles which will improve it over time.
Adding pea gravel can be useful to improve the surface drainage but a lot is required.
Making raised beds can overcome the problem particularly for any moisture sensitive plants that you wish to grow.
The coloured stemmed willow such as Salix alba 'Britzensis' is excellent for sopping up water but it must be grown as a shrub that is hard pruned every year otherwise its roots can be a problem and avoid planting near drains. Dogwoods (Cornus alba) are also tolerant of wet conditions and offer attractive coloured stems for the winter aswell.
I hope this helps to get you started.

how can i improve the drainage of my lawn, where the soil does not sit on clay. my garden was built on the site of a old mill and the cellar was filled in with bricks from it and then soil put on top, the drainage is only realy bad in patches.

Try aerating the poor patches using a garden fork pushed into the soil as deep as you can. Do this about every 15cms or so. it is tedious but effective. You can brush some gritty sand into the holes. The ideal time to do this is in the autumn but there is nothing to stop you doing it now.