Preparing the Site – Constructing the Drainage

The levels of the site must now be con­sidered and the drainage scheme laid. The manner in which surface levels can be dis­covered was described earlier, and any un­desirable lumps and hollows should be levelled out with a spade. Drainage can then be undertaken, the method and materials employed being more directly related to the wealth of the individual than the type of soil or fall of land involved.

Tile drains laid in a herring-bone fashion are undoubtedly the most satisfactory and permanent of all methods, but it goes with­out saying that they are by far the most expensive, and can only be regarded as the sole suitable means of drainage on lighter soils. Tile drains are small lengths of clay pipes, commonly used by the agricultural community, which are laid in trenches on top of a generous layer of stones or pea-shingle. Laid properly they form a quick and efficient means of drainage, only causing trouble if laid unevenly when silting will occur, or when used near vigorous trees such as poplar or willow whose roots have an uncanny knack of locating the pipes and travelling inside them until eventually they occupy the entire bore. Other methods are suitable on medium to heavy land, for then the soil assists by being sufficiently stiff to support itself.

The layout of the drains, of no matter what kind, should follow a set pattern to ensure even withdrawal of excess water from the soil. One or two main trenches can run the length of the garden, or a single track diagonally across the garden from up­per to lower opposite corners. These tracks should fall towards the outlet point and be of larger bore than their subsidiaries. These branch pipes join the main track in a her­ring-bone fashion being at approximately forty-five degrees to the main track and joining slightly askance from one another. If they join directly opposite one another silt­ing occurs and the drains eventually become blocked.

Permanent features

The site having been cleared and subterra­nean activities ceased, careful consideration should be given to permanent features such as the shed, greenhouse and paths, for once a decision is made regarding their siting little can be done to alter the original inten­tion without a major upheaval. Although you may not consider erecting either a shed or greenhouse immediately, the space allo­cated to them should be marked out and kept free of weeds until such time as this is possible. Paths, however, are a different matter, for it is virtually impossible to run a well ordered garden without at least one clean level path.

The boundaries, which will have been considered when surveying the site, should be put in good order or repaired before any substantial works commence, and any trees that are required ordered from the nursery­man for delivery at the appropriate time. My point here regarding ordering and planting long term subjects early on in the development, is that they can be growing while other work is going on. It is advisable therefore to plan the siting of trees, es­pecially in a new garden very early in the proceedings so that they can be established as quickly as possible.