Wet Weather Gardening: How to Save Your Outdoor Living Space

The rain can be fun, but only in small amounts. When it’s summer time in Florida, afternoon rain storms are the norm. In other regions of the US, rainy, gray weather almost year round may be the norm. No matter where you live, having a beautiful garden and outdoor living space is possible. 

Use these helpful tips to take your backyard from drab to fab- or at least keep it dry!

Focus on drainage

We are all used to the traditional picture book scenes of flatbed gardens. The thing is, when it rains, water pools in flat areas, making it easy for plants and flowers to get waterlogged. Drainage is so important to ensure water runs off and away from your plants without drowning them. You can implement easy drainage strategies with the following hacks:

• Raised flower beds: Plants stay elevated at all times
• Place potted plants on wheels or in a stylish wheelbarrow. Not only does it look nice, but when it rains too much you can easily move them to a drier location.
• Try a vertical garden. This involves using a trellis, window box or wall mount to accommodate plants instead of planting seeds directly into the ground where they are at a higher risk for getting waterlogged.

Go organic

Have you heard of humus? I’m not talking about the delicious chickpea spread. I’m talking about decomposed black soil rich in nutrients. It not only nourishes plants, but adds a protective buffer to plants that are under stress from rain. Humus will hold moisture, directing it to where your plants need it most.

Super star mulch

Adding mulch to your garden is a great way to combat the negative effects of too much rain. Not only does it hold in moisture to help nourish soil, but it stops splashing from furious raindrops. If you didn’t know, splashing may lead to the spread of diseases and it causes erosion. Layer that mulch!