Heavy rain can play havoc with your garden if you’re not careful. After a big storm, you may go outside to find that your flower beds and plants have all been ripped up and there are big soggy patches everywhere. Your carefully curated garden is completely ruined and you have to start from scratch. However, there are some simple things you can do to prevent this if you consider the weather when designing your garden. Here’s how to protect your garden from heavy rain. 

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Plan Your Layout Properly

When planning your garden, take into account the direction the water will flow when it rains. You don’t want to create a perfect funnel for heavy rain by putting all of your plants in one corner. Consider the protection that you get from the house or large trees too. If you can plant things in areas where they have natural protection from the rain, you can keep your garden in good condition. 

Improve Your Fences

One of the easiest ways to stop your garden from getting ruined is to make it harder for the rain to get in. You can do this by making sure your fence or wall is nice and solid. Look for cracks where water seeps through and seal them up. If you have a wood fence, be sure to treat it regularly with waterproofing oil so that it doesn’t warp or rot away when wet. If your fence has seen better days, call a fence company and get it replaced. Once you have strong fencing in place, you can plant things close to it so they have some protection against heavy rain. 

Use Tough Plants

When you’re choosing plants for your garden, take some time to think about how heavy the rainfall in your area is. You may want tough plants that can withstand a lot of rain and high winds. Anything with thick, woody branches will be more effective. Also, look out for plants with strong root systems so they don’t get blown away. If possible, choose plant species that are native to your area as this will help them adapt and thrive in your climate conditions. 

Always Water Properly

Watering your garden the wrong way is one of the most common reasons gardens get wrecked during storms and flooding. It’s important you water properly and consider how much it has rained recently before you start watering. Of course, if you’re experiencing drought, then you need to increase your watering, but be sure to do it slowly over time rather than just flood everything all at once if there has been a lot of rain already. 

Cover Sensitive Plants Before Storms

When you know bad weather is coming, make sure to cover up sensitive plants with a tarp or plastic sheet. When you are getting the garden ready for winter, covering plants can protect them from frost too. If possible tie things down so they don’t get blown away. Even if the storm isn’t too bad, always water your garden well in advance of covering up your plants. This way you are giving the ground time to soak in before any rain does fall. 

 

It’s vital that you follow these steps to protect your garden against heavy rain or it could be completely ruined by a storm.