Flood-proofing your lawn is an important yet often overlooked garden improvement, as many people don’t want to spend extra money on defences they may not need. The cost of damages from a flooded lawn and house can totally eclipse the cost of lawn defences however so it is something we highly recommend especially if you live near a body of water or at the bottom of a valley.

Permeable paving

As the amount of car owners has grown rapidly in recent years, paved front gardens have become more common for people to park their cars more securely on their own property. One major drawback of this increase is the fact that fully paved front lawns will contribute to flash floods due to their inability to soak up rainfall. There is a simple and cost-effective solution to this issue however, and that is the incorporation of permeable paving on lawns where cars are parked. Products such as Ground Reinforcement Paver are extremely effective for protecting the ground from vehicle damage, but still allow water to pass through and be absorbed by the ground beneath which minimises the risk of floods.

Check your soil

The soil type in your lawn can have a big impact on the likeliness of floods occurring on your property, as certain soils absorb and retain a lot more water than others, which makes them more prone to flooding. A key example of this is clay soil, which can easily become sullen and tends to be heavier. If your lawn is placed on top of one of these soils, it is important to regularly maintain it especially in the autumn months, you can do this by raking and spiking the ground to ensure water can pass down to root level easily. Overseeding grass seed is also an effective method of preventing floods on these soils, as the grass thickness and volume will be enhanced which will stop a majority of the water from reaching the soil at the same time.

Green roof planting

Green roofs have grown in popularity massively in recent years, with flood defence being just one of their many benefits which also include enhancing biodiversity and boosting mental health. As long as you have a solid and robust roof to plant a green roof on, this is an extremely viable flood prevention solution. Sedum Green Roof Garden Matting or Sedum Green Roof Garden Trays are simple and easy to install, and will efficiently absorb a lot of rainwater to reduce run off and therefore minimise the risk of flooding on your property. As previously mentioned, green roofs have several other benefits alongside flood defence, a key one being their low maintenance composition.

These are a few simple methods of flood-proofing that can help protect your lawn and the rest of your property from the threat of flooding all in a cost-effective manner.

If you have any further questions regarding flood-proofing your lawn be sure to get in touch with our team via email at sales@gardenersupplies.co.uk and we will be happy to help.