Has anyone created their own stream/ dry bed to guide excess and run off water?

[SnowdropsInSpring]

When it rains, we get a lot of water running off the land behind us (semi wild). This then accumulates into large puddles on the grass. I was going to put down some of those large drainage pipes (water soaks into them and runs through the pipes), but wondered if I could make a bit of a feature of things and and create a stream where the water comes into the garden and channel this into piles that will go under the rest of the garden (grass). I've seen pictures of dry streams (lined with stones that channel water when it rains.

has anyone done this? Are there any flaws to my plans? (Probably!!)

Like this:

frontierlandscaping.com/solving-water-problems-with-dry-creek-beds/

I haven't but I love the idea. However don't get big stones like that if you have a lovely toddler who might throw the, balance them on a raised bed above the baby's head etc (bitter experience) and don't get small pebbles either if you have a crawling baby who will try to put every single stone in their mouth (more bitter experience)

Fortunately, my children are teen/ preteen, but good advice 😁

I've always wanted a stream and this seems like a good way to turn puddles/run off water into something pretty… but I also wondered about the downsides - I don’t want to cause problems that I haven’t thought of 😅

The main thing to think about is the eventual destination of the water. Will it increase run-off into your neighbour’s garden?

Have a look at this article from the RHS on rain gardens, it has some of the things to consider.

We are working with neighbours to benefit both of our properties, and after it would rejoin natural run off water from elsewhere. There’s quite a lot of rainfall where we are…

You could create a bog garden where the stream ends. Some people create a pond with bog loving plants around it but I saw a lovely one on tv where they dug down a foot or two below the rest of the lawn and filled about a metre square with plants that love to be wet and some decorative stones. The water collected there instead of on the lawn.

www.gardenersworld.com/plants/10-plants-to-grow-in-bog-gardens/

www.edenproject.com/learn/eden-at-home/how-to-make-a-bog-garden

It sounds like a rewarding project that could really enhance your outdoor space! From what I've gathered, the key is in the planning and installation of the dry creek bed installation. Ensuring proper grading and lining with stones not only helps channel water effectively but also adds a natural look to your landscape. Maintenance-wise, occasional debris clearing might be needed, but it shouldn't be too demanding. I'd suggest looking into local landscaping resources or even consulting with a professional for specific advice tailored to your area's climate and soil conditions.

I'd love to do something like that - we sometimes have excess water, we've dug a channel for it along the back of the lawn which goes into a little bog garden area and then percolates down into the neighbours garden (we've checked it doesn't cause them any issues). But the water isn't a nice clear spring so it wouldn't look good as a feature unfortunately.

Hopefully the stream is already up and running - this thread was 2 years ago. (Yes, I also started reading the whole thread before thinking “I don’t remember saying that” )