« Back to Portfolio Index

Solutions for Water Problems

There are many ways to solve water problems that don’t involve pipes and drains:

• Get it away from the house by creating a positive slope
• Give it somewhere acceptable to go
• Soak it up with moisture loving plants

Ideally, you want the water to infiltrate back into the underground aquifers, which replenish our drinking water supplies.

In this garden, we moved the water away from the house with a dry stream. All the gutters and sump pump outlets feed into the stream. We gave the water a place to go by creating an attractive pond away from the house. We added a beach to allow access to the water for birds and wildlife, a small water feature, and tucked in a sitting area.

This garden was featured on the 2011 Newark Arts Alliance Garden Tour, and highlighted in an August 24, 2007 Newark Post article: “How does your garden grow?” by Christine Neff.

See additional ideas for dealing with stormwater on the Rain Gardens portfolio page, or call us for professional help with your water problem at 302-292-3554.

On visiting this garden on the 2011 Garden Tour, Delia S. commented "She's a genius!"