GARDEN DESIGN
destroyed. We are fortunate that we live in a hilly region and so the risks of flooding on the scale of those in Somerset are reduced. However, we still need to be aware of flash floods and design our gardens to be able to cope with massive amounts of rainfall. All of this water has to go somewhere. It can either go straight into the drains, which can easily become overwhelmed and cause flooding, or we can try and keep as much as possible in our gardens where we can manage where it goes and it can drain away without causing harm. This goes under the umbrella term of Rain Gardens and there are a series of ways of designing what is called the Storm Water Chain. This is an example of how it can work. Each element is designed in such as way as to overflow into the next whilst still absorbing water and slowing the rate of flow. • Rain falls onto roofs and hard surfaces which cannot absorb it. • one option to start the chain is to install a green roof. • From here it is fed, either via the down pipes or a rain chain, into a Storm Water Planter which is essentially an above ground waterproof bed designed to hold water for about 2 – 6 hours. This overflows into • Rills. Shallow channels which will send the water towards a • Filter Strip. A gently sloping area, either a lawn or
Rills
WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE W
e have just seen the wettest winter on record. Gardens have suffered and in some cases been
planted but with a gravel filled trench along its top edge. This will spread the water out into a sheet & will slow it down. From here the water can be collected in a • Swale or planted hollow. A long narrow depression no more than 60 cm wide.
If
• Retention Pond. This will mimic a natural wetland and the water levels will fluctuate throughout the year. only if this overflows might you need to direct the water into the drains. There are many plants that can survive occasional submersion, some suggestions include: Astilbes. Echinacea purpurea. miscanthus sinensis and Panicum virgatum grasses. Cornus sanguinea. Mahonia aquifolium. Alder, River Birch and Willows.
colette@charsleydesign.com www.charsleydesign.com t: 01803 722449. m: 07774 827799. Follow me on Twitter @ColetteCharsley
this also overflows the water can be fed using more rills into one of the final elements of the chain, a
A Rain Garden
Storm Water Tanks Professional Landscape and Garden Design
Creative and beautiful designs for village, town and country gardens
Colette Charsley PG Dip OCGD 01803 722449 07774 827799
colette@charsleydesign.com www.charsleydesign.com
99
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132