Garden flooding

[kevin_robson]

We have been having a bit of trouble with our front flower bed flooding. Obviously it has been worse of late, but has done this ever since we put the gravel down. I dont think it did this previously, but I could be wrong.

When it rains heavy it will flood for a good few hours. It normally goes in about 12 hours, but the plants are all dead now due to this. It can get approx 2" deep in water, so dont think a soakaway would even help.

We dug out the soil a little, put membrane down and filled with gravel. It is therefore slightly lower than the surrounding driveway. We did this so the gravel didn't go anywhere when we drive over it with the car.

If I put a fork through the membrane it still doesn't drain, so I dont believe it is down to that not absorbing water. The soil undeneath is quite clay like though.

Any ideas what this is down to - dug too low, bad drainage, blocked drain somewhere.

What are my options?

Pics below. Note that I've deliverately put this is buildings forum rather than gardening, as I'm keen to know there is nothing drainage-wise causing it.

Thanks,

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[breezer]

presumably it can not cope with all the run off from the block paving.

since it never happened before the gravel was laid (so you recall) would that not imply its the membrane not letting the water through / fast enough?

I would still be inclined to dig a realy big soakaway but a hollow one, some one once posted about one made from "stackable pipe with holes in its walls, perhaps you could also put a lid with a drain hole in it (like you find by most small 4 inch drain holes)

 

[kevin_robson]

Thanks. That might be a bit of a red herring though - as the soil was the same height as the driveway I doubt we'd have noticed it if it was flooded. No matter how heavy it rains, it never seems to flood above the height of the driveway.

 

[kevin_robson]

Nobody else got any ideas? Would this be better in the gardens section?

 

[bathjobby]

Water runs to the lowest point, you have dug a hole in clay so thats where it goes and sits. Fill it back in and find some alternate to the gravel for the top dressing, maybe a few more blocks as it looks like it will then drain across the public pavement.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

When you say membrane, what do you mean exactly?

 

[kevin_robson]

That weed proof membrain stuff. Water drains through it though.