Med coast but no sun!

[David]

Sorry, that should have said that I would copy the PM to Teamedup, not Tresco.

David

[Tresco]

Yes, I did say before in the thread that the builders had done a great deal and you were essentially happy with them. I don't remember the legal part, but I'll take your word for it[:)]

If I still have the email (as we have had many discussions off forum about this), I'll copy it to TU for you.

Which takes us back to the sump hole.

One sleepless night, round about the time SB posted about having a well sunk, this sort of idea did occur to me, but without the techno-marvellous detail.

I do still think the builders should do it, rather than what they have offered to do, because it will help a lot; I think it would help more than replacing the top soil. 

Then we can get back to plants. At present, with this horrible combination of problems, there is little anyone could suggest to plant in the ground. If the winter flooding is alleviated - even if not completely - we have a chance.

I care more about Davids garden than my own at the moment. Probably a sign of Forum Addiction[:-))]

[Teamedup]

I don't know what the builders have done for you, I hope that they have handed over a property that is the standard it should be.

We bought some land and employed a builder to stick a building on it. The drainage was up to us and we accepted that that was so. Where as you seem to have bought in a complex and judging by the estates I see being built as well as complexes, I personally would expect that proper services were laid on and drainage was properly installed taking into account local conditions. As I have seen your problem, I can't see or  understand how it can't be their job.

[Hoddy]

Assuming you can get the winter flooding sorted out, you might find the following website useful.

http://www.bethchatto.co.uk/

Hoddy

[andyh4]

Dave as Hoody suggests it is essential to get the downpipes sorted before we can get into plants.

 

When it rains, even torrentially, most of the water hitting the ground is absorbed by the soil - even your clay - and only after prolonged heavy rain will it start to puddle.  I assumed that 25% of the rain in a heavy storm from your garden would puddle - doubled it (to allow for your neighbour's garden, since water is no respector of property boundaries) - in order to caculate the size of sump.

When it rains on your roof (and that of your neighbour) virtually none is used in wetting surfaces so 100% of the rain gets concentrated immediately below the down spout - and double that again to allow for your neighbour's roof.

You could easily need a sump 5 times the one I suggested to handle this volume.

Leaving aside the regulations and whether the builder is obliged or not to do this, I would suggest you discuss with him about the possibility of extending your downpipes horizontally and above ground across to the marina/sea that seems to adjoin your property.  These will look unsightly but could either be buried or be screened with plants.

My guess is that if you do this you will not need a sump at all and the problem could well be solved.

[SaligoBay]

Oleander.  One of the few plants I know the name of, because I haven't managed to kill one yet.   This testifies to its toughness.   Shame it's such a messy and unattractive thing!

[Tresco]

Hang on a minute SB, what about your plastic roses. You havn't killed them have you? [:)]

Now theres an idea. [I]    Astroturf.

[SaligoBay]

Mais non!  They're still there.  Getting a bit faded now, I might have to dig it up and plant a new one.

Anyone any advice about the best time of year to plant plastic roses?

[Tresco]

[quote user="SaligoBay"]Oleander.  One of the few plants I know the name of, because I haven't managed to kill one yet.   This testifies to its toughness.   Shame it's such a messy and unattractive thing![/quote]

I suspect the fault lies in poor parenting or accomodation SB. [;-)]  Here are happy contented Oleanders.

[IMG]http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i76/twinm/oleander.jpg[/IMG]

 

I checked out Astroturf. I thought I might be onto a winner for David, but it costs a fortune.[:(]

[David]

Hi all,

Oleanders sound great.  We go down to the plot this weekend and we have a meeting with the builders.  If we cannot do anything about the drainage, I will give the other half a list of all the plants you have suggested, and see what happens.  We will be there frequently over the summer to tend them, and hopefully by flooding time in winter they will be large enough to survive.

If they die, then we will think about sumps and astro turf.

I will also try to take some more photos.

Many thanks to you all.

David

[Tresco]

David, afore ye go, I was going to suggest Vinca as a low lying ground cover plant.

It likes shade, it handles boggy conditions. If it managed to cover the ground, the ground wouldn't dry out so badly in the summer. The only thing is, it might throw a hissy fit at the salt. I don't know.

A packet of seeds might be worth thinking about, (and super cheap too!) but really September/ October/ November is the best time to plant, unless you are going to be there all the time. I wouldn't buy any plants now, unless you will be there a lot.

Astro Turf. Well what a shock I got when I read up about it. It's costly, mainly because people have to come and fit it, like an Axminster or something. [:)]

 

 

 

[David]

Thanks all,

I have just been through the thread from the beginning, and noted all the plants suggested.  These are:

Spanish reed, oleander, sedum john creech (sedum spurium), sedum matting, rosemary, sedge, plastic roses (not a bad idea in the circumstances) and vinca.  We will try all these plants when we go down this weekend, and if they fail we will think about carrying in small bags of coloured gravel on the wheelchair to make pretty patterns with.

Will also try to do something about the drainage and take some photos.

If we find that weeds have grown, and that the patch is not totally bare earth, then that will give us hope for plants.

Many thanks

David

[andyh4]

Good luck

enjoy the sunshine - if you are like us, it has been a long time coming this spring

 

[David]

Off tomorrow and looking forward to the sun.

In north Deux-Sevres spring has been a long time coming, and all the locals are complaining.  We still have the central heating going, but the daffies and tulips are coming out at last.

The neighbours tell us that spring gardening is about a month late this year.

Many thanks to all, and will report back when we return,

David

[Teamedup]

I still don't understand. I have read the message you sent Tresco now and I don't know why this is not the builders problem. It is really easy for them to say it is yours now. They simply have not done their job properly.

 

Good luck.

[opas]

Whilst looking at those photos of Davids house/garden, my thoughts also were that surely eventualy the house will suffer. I certainly wouldn`t dream of buying a property if i saw it looking like that.

I understand that  David bought the house before it was built (if you know what I mean) and am sure that it wasnt built with intensions of flooding the garden in bad weather. definatly a design fault somewhere down the line.

[WJT]

I agree with Teamedup and Opas. I would not consider doing or planting anything until the builders sort it out. You have just bought a brand new property with a serious problem. Sorry, but I would not let them get away with it!

[Beryl]

I know that sometimes it is easier to 'let things go' and probably more so if you  are unsure of the language and your rights, but what has happened to your garden is terrible.

You have some 'great' pictures to help your case, I really think you need to find out what your rights are and try and get the garden you paid for.

[David]

Hello all,  back on line at last.  Since returning I have been rather distracted by weddings, deaths, french income tax, maturing pensions, new kitchen, etc., etc., then to cap it all I fell for a telephone sales call from Wanadoo to change to broadband with a live box.  (I know, I know, I shouldn't have done it but my dial up connection was taking forever, and it is too late now).  I was promised instructions in English, but naturally they did not come.  After staring at the live box for many days, and being unable to get on line for advice as the line had been changed, I finally managed to connect it.  I must say that the internet connection is much better, but now I have phone and e-mail problems.

Re the garden, we went down and found a bare patch, not even weeds.  Wife had planted an oleander, but it had bent double in the wind, and was dead.  We have asked the builders to put more soil in to raise the level and improve the soil, but so far no reply.  The weather was poor while we were there being cold with lots of wind and some rain.  We only had two good days which were spent weeding and planting the front garden.  We just looked at the bare patch, and we will do something next time we are down, or perhaps in the autumn.  In the meantime we have bought three low level spreading succulents recommended by the local garden centre, and donated by a neighbour.  Don't know what they are called but they have succulent leaves, with a blue or white flower, and are used for stabilising sand banks, and poor coastal earth.  We will see what has happened when we return.

Many thanks for all your help.

Off to the telephone forum now for some help about phones and e-mails.

David