A portion of my back yard has become a mucky mess. Over the past 15 years the grade elevation has shifted, I think due to the roots of a nearby big Silver Maple Tree, causing this part of the yard to have poor drainage. It’s not a pond with standing water, but it’s always soggy and very soft. This part of the yard is not used by the kids or the dog so it doesn’t need to be grass. Instead of spending lots of $$ to fix the drainage issue I’d rather work with the situation by turning the area into a plant garden with hardy perennial plants that can thrive in the soggy conditions. My questions are 1) is this a dumb idea? 2)if not, any suggestions on suitable plants? I’m not interested in making my yard the envy of the neighborhood. My motivation is that I’m sick and tired of having my feet and the lawn mower sink into the bog as I attempt to cut the grass. I live in Pittsburgh.
You could go to your local plant nursery and explain your ground/drainage situation and they may can suggest something? Your neighbor’s drainage issue should not impose on your property. Have you talked to your neighbor about HIS drainage problem that causing you problems?
I'd fence it off with a wall no more than a couple of courses high and let it grow wild. Gives you a place to dump your leaves, too.
Maybe have a load of sand brought in and pay someone to till into the saturated soil there? I had a similar problem at my last property, it was an annual springtime issue. My neighbor who had a lot of farming experience seemed to think the above suggestion could have resolved the problem.
As long as there is positive drainage from the soggy area. Otherwise you end up with a sandy clay that is not much better.
Sandy clay is another word for concrete. If it's clay you need organic matter to break it up and some aggregate to facilitate drainage. Putting sand in it will just make it quicksand when wet. Rent a trencher and drop a socked drain tile in it, IMHO.
How far from your house is the swamp. Do you have a crawl space and is it dry. Amend your soil https://www.wikihow.com/Turn-Clay-Into-Growing-Soil Used stuff called Earth Right, it's a decent lawn care. Puts stuff into your soil and does help changing clay into dirt. With the tree, you will never ever keep grass. The shade will kill it. Get rid of the tree, amend the soil and consider a sump drain to the street.
Is it running into your yard from an adjacent place? Could you us a small swale and try to trap that water before if pools in your yard and maybe plant some stuff in there to keep it looking nice?
I had a similar area plus tired of mowing around the lilacs. So I did a burn down and planted a bunch of hostas, and a shady garden kit that was made up of various bulbs and root stock perennials etc. Here’s a good place to starts plus great customer service and on line how to guides. https://www.gurneys.com/category/flower-seeds-and-bulbs
I have exactly the same issue and was thinking about this. Do they really have an effect on wet soil? My area can cover roughly 30’ x 50’ when we get a decent amount of rain.
Just plant some irises and ferns. Plop some big boulders in there to take up some space and call it good.
