Louisiana has a unique type of land that faces flooding, hurricanes, storms, and other water damage regularly. There is not much variation in topography, with the lowest points of land below sea level, and the highest point of land only 535 feet above sea level.
Almost any weather event will cause flooding almost everywhere in the state. Humidity and high temperatures go hand-in-hand. Mulching is still used for moisture control, but most gardeners want the soil to dry out somewhat, and mulch does help with weed control. Flood damage will cause an explosive condition of mold if left without immediate attention.
The Challenge
Trying to create a beautiful landscape under the unusually wet conditions in Louisiana is a challenge. Not many homes in the cities have large landscapes or lawns. If it’s even possible for individual lawns, grading presents challenges to creating drainage that works effectively across a wide range of landscape types.
Larger homes with more land can benefit from grading, but even in those areas, landscape professionals are more likely to turn to retain walls for control of water saturation. For example, if a homeowner notices puddles and standing water in their yard, there is simply nowhere for the water to go. In addition, grading can often be uncontrolled, which leads to the use of retaining walls more than any other method to control erosion and runoff.
There will be areas where grading provides the most benefits, especially if your landscape has a lumpy or hilly look instead of a smooth slope. Brown or patchy areas can also benefit from grading, with sod installation occurring directly after grading. Sod will keep the soil from washing away and establish a lawn as quickly as possible.
Elevating homes
A trend towards elevating a home so that it’s higher than most floodwaters can be seen in many places, especially in coastal areas. While elevating your home can put it beyond the reach of most floodwaters, it does create challenges in creating gardens and landscapes. Irrigation would benefit from water detectors so your landscape won’t be watered while it’s raining or just after a rain. Timers are almost useless during a season of heavy rain.
While almost normal in coastal areas, flooding can create conditions where your garden can become unhealthy. For instance, if floodwaters have covered any part of your landscape, consuming vegetables can be dangerous since the floodwaters contain contaminants.
Pests like snakes and slugs will multiply quickly during rainy weather. Having toads in your garden can help keep these critters under control.
Grading and retaining walls – which works best?
Large, dead areas in a lawn are almost a sure thing after a hurricane or big storm. It’s usually located closer to the curb due to debris being piled up for many days.
Compared with sod installation, grading can make a considerable change to your lawn’s appearance and continued health. Therefore, grading can be one of the most critical parts of your land management. Immediate sodding and seeding is the best way to ensure soil retention.
Retaining wall installation can be fairly quick. Once your outdoor living space has been designed, your graded area and retaining walls will become an integral part of your space.
Retaining walls can help your property retain soil and nutrients, keeping erosion at bay as much as possible. However, a retaining wall does not have to be boring; it can be designed to stand out or blend in. It can be made with a mix of materials for contrast or kept plain, allowing other parts of your outdoor area to be accent pieces.
Pairing grading with retaining walls solves several problems. If the house has been elevated, the area beneath it will benefit from being graded and sodded. Soil loss will be less, and continued maintenance will be much simpler. It can be made attractive by using grass sod specialized for shadow, and a drainage system will help stabilize the ground beneath.
Grading the rest of the area to get the optimal slope will preserve soil and give you plenty of places to install beds for flowers and ornamental plants. Since the bedding will be away from the house, for the most part, worries about leaking into a basement will be gone. Adding ornamental flower boxes around the house’s base can help create a decorative backdrop for other plantings. Stairs or elevators will need to be added to access the house, but those will cause little erosion, especially if installed under the house.
Outdoor living spaces
Outdoor living space is the most common way to add value to a home. Erosion and water control are significant parts of a landscape, but grading is not always possible. Creating retaining walls can serve more than one purpose – preventing erosion of the soil, creating drainage where needed, and creating space that can function as garden spots and seating areas.
For instance, if you’re planning a fire pit, placing it near a hillside where you’re planning the installation of a retaining wall can solve a seating problem. Make your retaining wall of the same stones and patterns as your fire pit walls and rims, and add squishy cushions for comfortable seating on the retaining wall.
Retaining walls around your outside living area can match or contrast with your fire pit and other furnishings. There are many designs and materials available for successful retaining walls, and they all provide surface protection of the soil and a means to control erosion and moisture management.
Any one of your retaining walls can be transformed into temporary or permanent extra seating just by adding cushions. In addition, changing the shape of the retaining walls can create several semi-private areas for conversation or canoodling. Making a retaining wall wavy will help create these nooks, strengthen the wall, and use fewer bricks in making the wall.
No matter which method you choose to make your landscape healthier and more resistant to flooding and erosion, your landscape partners at Year Round Services will be there to provide advice, direction, and installation of your plans and ideas.
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