Clay? Pave it or grass it?

[peninehills]

At long last we're getting round to the derelict garden (dug up 6 years ago!).
When we moved here it was lawn - very soggy lawn. It has since been slightly reshaped as the dry stone walls were collapsing, we live on a hill so there are terraces above and to the side. I want to level this area now so as to have somewhere flat in the garden, but as it is more or less solid clay, can't decide wether to grass it or flag it. It seems like we will need some sort of drainage whether we use grass or flags. If we go for flags what do we lay them on. They've just built 2 new houses up the road and sat them on a huge bed of reinforced concrete as there are also springs all over the hill. Would I be best sitting it on a few inches of concrete? The area is approx 15m x 10m.

 

[JohnD]

if you have a wet clay garden on a hill there are a few things you can do:

dig a ditch round it (especially on the uphill side) to catch water coming in. You can fill this with stones if you like, or other free-draining material

improve the top spit of soil. If it is solid clay, dig away 6" (for a lawn) and remake the surface with sandy, gritty soil which will drain easily. The clay beneath must be level or slope towards your ditch

you can also improve the texture of clay with gypsum (plaster) this really does work. In dry weather you can fork over the soil to break it up, add plaster and rake it in.

I have had fair success in borders by adding gypsum and large amounts of organic compost (if you know any horsey people they will probably be glad to get rid of it. Wood shavings beddding does not smell badly like straw bedding does) You have to replenish the compost each year as it slowly rots down, but you can mulch it on thickly and it wil suppres weeds - no need to dig it in as the worms will do this for you f.o.c. this will raise the ground level so dig out the clay subsoil first (unless you want raised beds)

If you put a lawn on clay it will always be poached in wet weather, and crack in dry, unless you grow the grass on a better soil layer on top.

If you dig a flowerbed in clay it will tend to act as a sump and fill up with water.

 

[Jackstone]

What John Said above, Plus I have added all my grass cuttings to my clay section of my garden and its now great soil, has taken 4 yrs mind

Jack