Hi everybody.
As mentioned in another thread, my boyfriend and I just agreed on the price for our first house.
However, I really dream of gardening, so I have one big concern, that it would be nice to figure out before the final signature on the purchase.
The garden has a weird, man made hole, with gravel on the bottom. The hole has water standing in it, all the way to the ground surface. Does this mean that the ground water table is literally at ground level? It had just been raining that day, though not much for a while prior to this. When stepping on the lawn it was wet. According to the internet the ground water in the area is high (one place said 60 centimeter below ground surface, another only 30. These are averages for the local area.) and the soil doesn't drain well.
The garden slopes gently down to a stream.
These are pictures of the hole, and of the garden so you can see the location of the hole:
(the middle picture is from winter, from the real estate agent)
Since the ground is wet my idea is to make some raised beds at the top of the garden and some sort of "bog garden" near the water. My worry is that the soil might be so water logged, by ground water, that even plants suited to wet areas might struggle to grow, with rotting roots, if the water table is actually at surface level for a large part of the year. Particularly nearer the water where there's only grass and trees now. I would like a natural look, with ferns and irises and various other flowers and bushes. With every description I find online, of plants that like wet soil, they still say it should be "well drained", which I take to mean they won't be happy with super high ground water!
So, do you think the hole is a sign of trouble? I know there are other plants growing in the garden, but all of them are on higher ground than the hole, or same height, except some trees and grass.
Am I too paranoid?
I guess worst case scenario is that I'll have to leave the ground closer to the stream as it is and wear rubber boots when walking in the garden. Raised beds should do fine at the top of the garden, despite wet ground, right?
Are we buying an impossible garden?
Alright, that was a long post. If you were patient enough to read it, thanks.
As mentioned in another thread, my boyfriend and I just agreed on the price for our first house.
However, I really dream of gardening, so I have one big concern, that it would be nice to figure out before the final signature on the purchase.
The garden has a weird, man made hole, with gravel on the bottom. The hole has water standing in it, all the way to the ground surface. Does this mean that the ground water table is literally at ground level? It had just been raining that day, though not much for a while prior to this. When stepping on the lawn it was wet. According to the internet the ground water in the area is high (one place said 60 centimeter below ground surface, another only 30. These are averages for the local area.) and the soil doesn't drain well.
The garden slopes gently down to a stream.
These are pictures of the hole, and of the garden so you can see the location of the hole:
(the middle picture is from winter, from the real estate agent)
Since the ground is wet my idea is to make some raised beds at the top of the garden and some sort of "bog garden" near the water. My worry is that the soil might be so water logged, by ground water, that even plants suited to wet areas might struggle to grow, with rotting roots, if the water table is actually at surface level for a large part of the year. Particularly nearer the water where there's only grass and trees now. I would like a natural look, with ferns and irises and various other flowers and bushes. With every description I find online, of plants that like wet soil, they still say it should be "well drained", which I take to mean they won't be happy with super high ground water!
So, do you think the hole is a sign of trouble? I know there are other plants growing in the garden, but all of them are on higher ground than the hole, or same height, except some trees and grass.
Am I too paranoid?
I guess worst case scenario is that I'll have to leave the ground closer to the stream as it is and wear rubber boots when walking in the garden. Raised beds should do fine at the top of the garden, despite wet ground, right?
Are we buying an impossible garden?
Alright, that was a long post. If you were patient enough to read it, thanks.
