Yard Drainage Correction in Progress

When planning the landscape for a new or existing garden, you might need to work around a drainage swale. In older landscapes, a long, shallow, grass-covered indentation that leads out to the street may be the only indication of the drainage swale. The swale is an important part of the lot’s drainage plan, ensuring that excess water moves downhill, away from structures. While simply cleaning out the old swale and planting new sod over it is one option, incorporating the swale as a dry stream bed is an eye-catching method of enhancing your garden design. In this Winnipeg project, local contractor The Lawn Salon — a work in progress — shows the initial excavation to create a drainage swale from the backyard to the street.