Just as you were starting to look forward to bring in your garden, the storms came and pushed your fence over and drowned your plants. Don’t panic. Here are some quick tips to get your garden back under control.
Fix fencing before spending any time and money on planting. If you’re in an exposed and windy area, featheredge fencing will last longer than fence panels. Make sure the posts are concreted in.
Stay off the soil and the lawn until the water has gone. If you need access, walk along planks of wood.
Wash any silt off the plants.
Rescue any special plants and replant them in a dry area or in a pot.
Aerate the lawn – Use a garden fork to create small holes. You may also need to re-seed it. Lawnmaster are my preferred local expert and can restore the most battered lawns.
Feed the soil – Flooding kills earthworms and washes away the goodies from your soil. Add a generous layer of well-rotted manure or homemade compost to the soil.
Throw away contaminated vegetables - Sadly, any vegetables that have come into contact with flood water should be thrown away as a precaution.
Don’t be too quick to chuck out ‘ruined plants’. Give them some compost and watch and wait for a few weeks. They may well survive.
Plan for future years – 1) Make a rough plan and record any areas of standing water – drainage can be improved with the help of a quality landscaper. 2) Choose plants that are tough enough to survive drought and flooding. Here are a few to get you started: Sambucus nigra f. porphyrophylla, cotinus coggyria royal purple, Amelanchier x grandiflora robin hill, Viburnum opulus roseum, Stachys byzantine, Verbena bonariensis, Cornus alba sibirica, Calamagrostis brachytricha
Call for back up - A good garden designer can create a bespoke plan of action for you, call in the right landscapers to do the heavy work, and select the right plants for the future
If your garden is out of control or simply a blank canvas, let's talk. From full garden design and landscaping management, to DIY garden toolkits and planting plans, I can help make your dream garden a reality.
Get in touch to book a consultation: laura@laurasgardens.com
Laura Bedell-Pearce is a garden designer working across Reigate, Redhill, Nutfield and local Surrey villages.