How can i protect my garden from the rain whilst i dig it?

Question

Im trying to re-design my garden but we are having really bad weather recently and its filled up the trenches i have dug for my new walls with rain. We have really bad drainage in the garden so its not draining away quickly. Can anyone suggest an inexpensive way to cover/protect the garden from the rain which would allow me to continue working in the garden at the same time?

My garden is 5m wide by 9m long (if that makes any difference?) I was going to nail polythene to the fences to cover the garden but i thought that might rip and blow away in the wind?! Any other ideas are most welcome! Thanks

Im redesigning the garden ie, building walls, changing levels etc, so it has to be something that will allow me to do this without the ground getting wet - like a gazebo or something.

Answer 1

The fact that your trench filled with water should tell you something about your soil and future problems. I can help you with both the drainage and other problems, however, not being G.. I can only help in real time.
Be grateful for this problem. Plants you may have placed would be subject to rot or worse. Now you can correct the problems, at a less expense. Let the rain fall. Put a yardstick or measuring device in the pit/trench and measure how much it lowers or raises per day. Do this for a week and monitor the rainfall during this time.
This will tell us if you need modified soil, gravel, or a simple
irrigation diversion. I'm called cheap ( I prefer frugal) by my wife and people I design for. I am sure I can help, however, I need to know the water levels and the plants you wish to use.
Let the rain fall. A year from now it may or it may fall even more. We will deal with what is as it is an indication of what was and can be. This way we can deal with today and a worse case.
Good Luck. I am at [e-mail].

Answer 2

Many folks, will lay down black plactic over the dirt, and cut tiny incisions in the plastic and grow their garden that way!

This also too, helps to keep from steppin in the mud, Instead you are walking on the plastic and growing a garden at the same time!

To help with drainage, dig a trench on the lowest side of your garden and well past the end of your garden, this will aid in draining the water away from the garden, also, in the non-growing seasons such as in fall, you can amend the soil, and by raising the elevation of your garden by adding horse manure to it, horse manure is by far, the best compost one can add to their garden!

Good luck!

Answer 3

Well, I think that if your garden has poor drainage, you need to fix that first. Get a soil sample, to see what you need in the way of nutrients and then amend the soil as needed. If you don't improve the drainage your plants will drown.

Answer 4

get yourself some plywood and cover the area you don't want to get wet,and when you are ready to work on that area just remove the plywood