With significant amounts of rainfall coming down over large swathes of the UK over the last few days, the idea of flood-proofing the house and garden will no doubt be at the forefront of many people’s minds right now.
As climate change is expected to bring more extreme weather events like flooding with it more regularly, there’s certainly no time quite like the present to build resilience into our properties so they’re better able to withstand the elements… but how do you best go about flood-proofing your outdoor spaces?
Interestingly, a flood-resilient garden took centre stage at the Chelsea Flower Show last year and it could prove to be just the inspiration you’ve been looking for, with suggestions including dense planting to help slow water flow and facilities to capture and store water for use later on.
The garden featured an elevated deck and mound, with a bridge positioned over a central swale to serve as a stream and channel rainwater into a pond so it can soak gradually away. Large tanks onsite double as ornamental pools, with smart technology used to discharge water reserves if further rain is expected.
Other tips to help prevent flooding include reducing your hard landscaped areas and replacing them with soil and plants to help drive down surface water runoff. Another alternative is to make sure that you use permeable materials for landscaped areas, ensuring that water can soak down into the ground, rather than collecting on the surface.
As for planting, opt for more resilient species that will bounce back more successfully after seriously wet weather and consider avoiding artificial grass, as this will compact the soil at the installation stage and will make it harder for rainfall to penetrate into the ground.
If you’d like any further tips or advice for making your garden more resilient to flooding, get in touch with the LW Landscapes team today.