Alphen aan den Rijn
T-09 · 2023 · Family garden, semi-detached house
Natural family garden
A garden that keeps play space, stores rainwater on its own plot, and grows denser over three seasons without closing the path.
Site
Before / after
Existing conditionNew condition- Existing condition
Wet lawn, dense conifers
- Felling and excavation
Light back into the plot
- Swale and paths
Pavers in herringbone
- Deck and borders
Oak on adjustable posts
- Handover
First mowing season guided
Brief
Waterlogging on heavy clay
The garden sank after rain. The previous owner had laid topsoil on clay, without drainage. We dug a swale in the lowest part, broke the sealed layer and mixed coarse sand into the top 30 cm of the play meadow.
Basin clay, locally 60 cm of topsoil. Play meadow raised with a sand-compost mix; borders on the existing clay with a drain pipe.
Swale of 12 m², linked to the downpipe of the garden house. Overflow to an existing ditch behind the boundary.
Evening sun from the west. Birch and serviceberry placed so the meadow stays open until 17:00.
Material
Pavers, red-brown
Fired brick pavers · Oak deck · River stone in the swale
Planting
- Betula utilis 'Doorenbos'
Light crown, white stem as a winter line
- Amelanchier lamarckii
Edible fruit, spring flower
- Molinia caerulea
Wet feet by the swale
- Deschampsia cespitosa
Partial shade, fine inflorescence
Mow the play meadow, scrape the swale once a year, cut grass vegetation back in March, oil the deck every two years.
Construction
Survey
Level survey relative to ditch water. Three boreholes: clay to 1.2 m, no sand lens.
Sketch
Play meadow in the middle, dense planting along the boundaries, path as a loop.
Construction
Six weeks, with a dry spell for compacting the swale banks.
Photographs after handover
Other sheets