I'm done with this year :-( UPDATE

[pdid]

I've begun my winter prep by digging out most of my collies today. It has rained every day for what seems like eternity and the garden just resembles a swamp.
It's going to take at least a week of dry weather to regain some sort of normality.

Depressed.

[harryc]

I was going to say a bit premature but looking at the amount of water, maybe best for the plants.

Harry

[kata]

A lot of water there pdid,

I thought we had a lot of rain, nothing like that. I am weed off at the Canna I waited so long to flower, rain has ruined the flower as it emerged.

Blastard weather!!

[GoggleboxUK]

Nowhere near as wet here Phil but my mindset is the same as yours. I've had enough of 2012 now as far as gardening goes.

I'm going to grab myself a bag of compost tomorrow and everything is coming out that needs to. I have already assembled the greenhouse and moved a lot of pots in there and I am going to try and keep the Nanas and Collies/Allies going over winter in there.

Roll on next spring, it has to be better than this!

[Arlon Tishmarsh]

Thats a shame Phil, must be very disheartening .

At least the plants look healthy.

Hows the little "dark stem" doing

[tropicalwon]

Blinkin' ell Your garden is suffering...You'll have too, not telling you to suck eggs, improve the drainage near the retaining wall. Before the other exotics suffer.

[Deedee]

I feel the same as you pdid, I must have better drainage but the plants are going over and between the slugs and the weather the garden has had it, its cold up here and i have the heating on! Pe*d off. Sorry to see your garden suffering 2012 PUH.

[cordyman]

I was done with this year 2 months ago! LOL

not planning on overwintering anything just yet, but spent so so little time in the garden its been left to its own devices

[Mr List]

wowza!

looks like you could do with biulding a big soak away under the lawn, or start planting lots of gunera manicata

[pdid]

Cheers, usually it stays damp just at the corner and most of the plants in that area can cope with the wet soil. With a lot of rain I would expect it to hold a bit of water but back to normal within a few days. It has been sodden for the last 2 to 3 weeks.

I dug the collies out as I'm pretty sure they won't like sitting in water when cold, and it is due to go cold this weekend. Everything else will be staying where it is till the 1st frost.

Hows the little "dark stem" doing

She's just put out her 3rd leaf so good cheers Mark.

[pdid]

Any tips on how to go about improving drainage that doesn't involve ripping the whole garden up?

[Arlon Tishmarsh]

I dug a big soakaway in mine Phil. I did have some pics somewhere. Basically i dug a big hole and filled it with house bricks and rubble. The soil that came out i then used to make raised beds.

[tropicalwon]

This might help you..........

http://www.gardenaction.co.uk/techniques/lawn3b2.asp

[Kristen]

Any tips on how to go about improving drainage that doesn't involve ripping the whole garden up?

You would need to dig trenches, and put drains in, so its would involve some ripping up.

Dig trench, put perforated drainage pipe (comes on a roll) in the bottom, cover it with gravel, fill the trench back in. Route the pipe to somewhere the water can flow away (downhill if you have one, or into storm drain, or if absolutely nothing available then a soakaway, but once that's waterlogged, in a wet year, then the drain won't work until that water soaks away ... but it will make the surrounding area drain more quickly); the gravel along the perforated pipe will all help to act as a soakaway in itself.

Useful info here:
www.pavingexpert.com/drainage.htm

[Arlon Tishmarsh]

Route the pipe to somewhere the water can flow away (downhill if you have one, or into storm drain.................

Might pay to check with your local authority. I'd advise being very careful taking it into an existing storm drain. Don't know about England but in this neck of the woods, if the drainage system on your property forms part of the public sewer, then only approved contractors are allowed to work on public sewers. You could end up being slapped with a hefty fine. Also, you might have issue's with your local building control authority as they take a dim view of any additional load on the sewers and any storm water should be allowed to drain away naturally or via a soakaway.