Are you having any sort of drainage and erosion control problem on your Laurel MD property? It’s something we’re asked to help our clients in the area resolve quite frequently. In this article, we’ll outline three of the more common solutions to the problem, but before we do that, let’s talk about your landscaping ambitions more generally.
What are your landscaping goals? Most homeowners have at least a mental wish list. Before you start addressing whatever drainage and erosion control problems you have on your Laurel MD property, it’s important to outline what other landscaping you want to do so you’re not working at cross-purposes with yourself.
The best way to do this is to create a Master Landscape Design Document. This doesn’t have to be anything fancy, but it does need to capture all your landscaping goals in one place. This allows you to prioritize your goals and break them down into discrete projects that won’t bust your budget.
It also informs you about the best way to proceed with dealing with whatever drainage and erosion control problems on your Laurel MD property you might have. Now, in terms of dealing with the issue itself, let’s look at the three best options for doing so:
Grasses and Shrubs
This is the first and simplest option, ideal for dealing with erosion issues specifically. Grasses and shrubs create a tight weave of roots that help keep your soil in place.
A Diversion
In simplest form, this is an open drainage ditch used to create better drainage. A diversion, in concert with the planting of grasses and shrubs is a cost-effective one-two punch that wards against both drainage and erosion.
Simply route the drainage ditch to a nearby creek, dry well, or decorative pond and your drainage problems are a thing of the past.
Terrace Your Yard
This is a more expensive, but also a more comprehensive option that’s most effective on steeply sloped areas. Terraces are constructed by building retaining walls which also have drainage systems built into them, most commonly in the form of French drains.
Once the terraces are built, you can plant a wide range of plants and grasses on them. Best of all, terraces look fantastic and blend seamlessly with a wide variety of any other landscaping initiatives you might have in mind.
Taken together, these three options give you a tremendous amount of control and lots of freedom in terms of how you deal with whatever drainage and erosion issues you’ve got on your property. Armed with a complete Master Landscape Design Document, you’ll be able to incorporate your other landscaping initiatives into these, seamlessly.
If that sounds good to you and you’d like some help getting started, give our office a call today.
