Wet Spot Fix

With the amount of rain gardens done in the area, your name gets passed along as someone who deals with water problems, often erosion and drainage.

The problem-
Many neighborhoods are designed to remove water from yards as fast as they can.  Unfortunately that passes the buck, and the storm surge, downstream.  This storm surge carries sediment and other pollution, contributes to flooding both regionally and localized.  That was the case in this backyard in Ankeny.

This area of the yard was almost always wet, and the lawn could not be maintained.  The grass was scraggly, bare and being overrun by water loving weeds. 

The Plan-
Even though the city of Ankeny does Stormwater BMP Cost Share, having a dozen or so compacted yards draining through this area, a rain garden wasn't an option.  That's just too much runoff for a single property to manage that way.  So instead of trying to slow and sink that much water, we designed a functional & decorative dry stream bed including native plants, grasses and trees. The deep-rooted natives can act as a filter and help infiltrate rainwater into the ground during smaller rain events.

The Install-
Some light regrading was required to reestablish the slope running to the storm sewer inlet.  The wet spot even tried to eat my Dingo!  A combination of rock sizes were used to give the waterway a more natural look.  A couple bigger boulders double as benches to watch the butterflies, and some others to cross the "stream."  A native river birch won't mind the wet soil and provide dappled shade for the yard.

The Results-

The runoff and even floodwaters should pass through better and without damage now.  The trouble spot in the lawn has become a decorative feature, that also provides habitat for native pollinators and a place to enjoy them.  Two other native trees, swamp white oaks, were planted in the yard, along with a unique curly willow.

"The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, 

the second best time is now"

Not our typical project but we did put an Abundant Design twist on this drainage project.

Help Wanted - Seasonal Landscape Crew

I'm putting together a crew for the season.  Want to join us?

Spreading chips on an orchard install

Contour swale installation

Abundant Design is looking for seasonal Part-time to Full-Time laborers where we help people build resiliency through gardens and edible landscapes, establish wildlife habitat and conservation practices, and provide enjoyment of Creation in their own backyards, properties and communities.

Lots of digging and planting of native and edible plants, shrubs and trees; moving compost, rock and mulch; some limited hardscape and builds.

Tasks may included, but not limited to - shoveling rock, moving boulders, trenching by hand or with a machine, operating a laser level for grading, light grading with mini-skidsteer, hauling material, plantings ranging in size from large balled and burlapped (B&B) trees to delicate transplants

Must be physically able to work hard outside in various conditions, communicate clearly and follow instructions, be respectful of customers and their property. Must also be able to get to and from job sites around the metro.

Knowledge of or experience in gardening, landscaping, horticulture, biology/ecology, and local ecosystems a plus.

Experience operating small machinery a plus. 

Great for students in conservation, agriculture and sustainability fields, or anyone interested in the same.

Pay ~$10-15/hr, depending on experience.

Email us your Resume/CV/Work experience and references, if interested.

Steel planter boxes assembly

Rain Garden grading

Stone edging around a Mandala Garden

Hillside Backyard - Rain Gardens & Dry Stream

South of Grand - Rain Gardens, Dry stream,
Drainage and Boulder Terraces

The latest project we finished began last year and picked up again first thing this spring so that it would look great for summer.  The project goal was to fix the drainage issues, beautify the space and do it in an environmentally friendly way.  We had a beautiful wooded hillside to start...

...but there were some poor drainage issues and existing landscape to deal with before the homeowners could really enjoy their patio and backyard.

 

We looked at the slope and how to slow the flow, preventing erosion and managing the runoff before it got to the home.  We also leveraged the city stormwater funding for cost share to reduce stormwater coming from the property.

The old paver patio, deer damaged arborvitae screen and edging all came out.  The old drain intake which was actually flowing backward was removed.  The old clogged lines were replaced with PVC attached to downspouts and a new french style drain was put in to catch whatever runoff the planned rain garden swales miss above.

Two rain gardens were constructed to capture and infiltrate rainwater.  The rain gardens were designed with small drainage swales to move water across the slope.  These were reseeded to blend back into the yard.   Any overflow will be directed into the dry stream bed we constructed through the terraced shady planting, along the patio and into a small pool where the new intake drain is located.

Swale to move hillside runoff to rain garden
with taller sun loving native flowers and prairie grasses

Second swale to part shade rain garden planted with natives,
 some edible, and overflow into the dry stream

Hillside terraces, dry stream bed and woodland planting

Drain pool with decorative boulders, driftwood and
a flagstone bridge across the stream

Plus, a small raised bed Vegetable Garden!

I'm really excited to see this later in the season when the plantings grow and fill in more!

UPDATE: See it in action here!