There are times when patches of land in your yard can turn into a huge mush. This patch of mud causes inconveniences at home. They can be slippery and can’t be used as a walkway. Grass can’t grow in muddy areas, so you end up with an ugly contrast of brown and green.
These muddy patches are caused by poor drainage in the soil. It could be because of a low terrain or the absence of trenches or drainpipes around the area. However, there are ways to get rid of this huge patch, and they can be pretty, too.
Use a Combination of Paver and Grass
Using a combination of paver and grass is a great compromise between a lawn and a walkway. Aside from walkways, you can also use this for extra parking when you have guests. You can also let the grass grow around the paver.
Another advantage of this is there are a bunch of options for the kind of paver you can get. The following are the different kinds of pavers:
- Brick or clay
- Concrete
- Bluestone
- Flagstone
- Marble
- Travertine
- Porcelain
- Cobblestone
In addition to the material, you can choose from a wide range of shapes and sizes to fit your taste. This is a flexible option in terms of aesthetics, especially if you want an area to match the design of your house.
Creeper Plants
Creeper plants, referred to as “procumbent plants,” are tiny plants that seem to crawl on the ground. These plants are viny, but their vines are not large or long enough to climb—unlike “climbers.” They’re great for covering the ground or mud patched in your home. They tend to prefer moist soil, so they grow well in muddy areas. Some creeper plants are flowering as well, so they make your yard or your lawn pretty as well.
Be careful with the kind of creeper you choose, though. There are invasive creepers. This means they grow and grow and grow until they start eating up spaces of other plants. Avoid using these kinds of creepers, as it may be difficult to keep them within bounds. If you do find them pretty, it’s best to keep them in pots or baskets.
Cover with Gravel
Covering a patch of land with plants takes away the option of using the area as a walkway. Another way to have a pretty and functional yard is to use gravel. This is also popularly used in landscaping. So, you can still give your yard a landscaped appeal without sacrificing a potential walkway.
Gravel comes in different types, colors, textures, and uses for landscaping. Much like the pavers, you can choose the type that fits your taste or the design of your home. Here are a few examples:
- River stone
- Lava stone
- Crush granite
- Crushed stone
Create a Patio
To solve a mud problem, the one-time-big-time solution would be to cover it with concrete. Making it completely solid could be the easiest way to do it, but it’s not exactly the cutest. If not done right, you might end up with a misplaced patch of concrete in your yard.
Instead, you can choose to cover it with concrete and make it cute at the same time. Consider creating a patio or a multi-purpose outdoor area. It could be a spot for hanging out for afternoon drinks. You could also host lunch or dinner on weekends in this area. This could also be an opportunity to have an indoor-outdoor experience for your home.
Install Canopies
In the United Kingdom, where it rains almost all the time, having covered walkways and canopies is convenient. To prevent water from pooling and absorbing in the soil, it helps to keep the water away from it. Cover the area where it tends to be muddy. If you place the canopies in the right spot, you can direct the water straight to the drainage of your lot. This way, the water doesn’t stall.
You can also install canopies on top of the spots that you covered with pavers or gravel. It adds another layer of mud prevention. It also prevents the materials you used to cover from being buried deep into the soil when used for foot traffic or parking.
Cover it up
Sometimes, covering up a problem area is an amazing solution. It’s not that you forget that it exists. It’s just that it can be pretty while also solving the problem. By putting gravel, pavers, a patio, plants, and a canopy, you’ll turn that brown patch into something greater.
