I have this small section of my yard (probably 10ft x 30ft) that is constantly flooded because my sump pump drains there and it collects a TON of water. It's illegal to tie it in to the sewer system here and we're charged for the water collected in storm drains for whatever reason, so I'd like to put that water to use and plant some flood tolerant or water hungry plants there. Maybe some kind of shrubs or a garden that supports the native insect and wildlife population?
I'm in usda zone 6. The amount of water there varies between a mud pit and around an inch and a half of standing water depending on how recently it rained. Also in a city that is very strict about overthrown weeds and such, so it also has to be something that makes the yard look presentable as well.
by SanityNotFound
10 Comments
Sweetspire or inkberry shrubs are both native and thrive in soggy or wet soils. Go to your local garden center and they can help you find what you need.
Is backyard used for anything else and do portions not flood? Already have a patio or deck ? Certain ornamental grasses would be nice. Depends on how rest of backyard is used based on what and where you plant.
there is a whole world of plants perfect for this exact spot. just google bog plants and see what you like. im partial to creepers like moneywort, bacopa, etc
How do they charge you for water that goes into the storm drains?
I know you said code enforcement is hungry but could you maybe capture the water in a pleasing to the eye rain barrel so you could at least divert it for use later?
There are a lot of plants that like water and because you want an idea of some I can only think sarcastically. I would dig that a little lower and line it like a pond so I could plant cat tails and duck weed. I would love to see how a code officer would react.
Bamboo. You will be able to grow enough to build a shed in 3 years. And a fence in 5, and a house in 7…
Plus it’s beautiful if you get a few leaders to become full trees.
It will also help suck up and store the water (reducing Mosquito still pools)
Hydrangeas like water (hence the name).
Hardy hibiscus? Big but gorgeous
buttonbush is the best wet plant i know of. there are many smaller cultivars available. it would love it here. native, deer resistant, and a pollinator magnet.
If your water table isn’t too high you could try to att some soakaway crates to buffer the water
Grass is never going to grow in a sump swamp so you need to stop fighting the water and build a proper rain garden. The trick to keeping the city off your back is making it look entirely intentional. That means digging out a shallow basin and cutting a sharp defined edge between your remaining lawn and this new bed. Line the main inflow path from the pump with heavy river rock to slow the water down and stop the mud from washing away. If you just slap some wet loving plants into a mud puddle without hard structural edges it will look like an abandoned weed patch and code enforcement will be knocking.
For Zone 6 you want native heavy drinkers that provide year round structure. Start with a backbone of Red Twig Dogwood and Winterberry Holly because their deep roots will suck up tons of moisture and they actually look good in January. Then fill the rest of the basin with massive sweeping drifts of Swamp Milkweed Joe Pye Weed and dense sedges. Do not buy one of everything and scatter them around. Plant them in big connected blocks so they flow together into a single deliberate texture. The local wildlife will thrive on it and those specific plants drink standing water for breakfast.
Because you are dealing with strict city rules and a large area you really cannot afford to wing the layout. Take a picture of that flooded grass and run it through the GardenDream web app before you pick up a shovel. It is a visualization tool that lets you overlay realistic plant masses and rock channels right onto your exact yard. Use it as a safety net to test out your design so you know exactly what to build and avoid wasting money on a layout that looks like a chaotic overgrown mess.