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About Russel Ray
Expertise
I can answer questions about water-wise landscaping, xeriscaping, and using native vegetation, cactus, and succulents to create a home paradise that won't increase your water bill.
Experience
My wise ol' grandmother got me started with cactus and succulents 42 years ago. The rest, as they say, is history.
Organizations
National Association of Certified Home Inspectors, Better Business Bureau of San Diego
Education/Credentials
After graduating from Texas A&M University, I started a plant-sitting business in Houston to take care of the house plants when people went on vacation. That went on for five years before I moved back to College Station and started several businesses, one of which was a landscaping business specializing in "dry" landscaping.
Awards and Honors
The privilege of working with people.
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You are here: Experts > Home/Garden > Exterior Decorating > Landscaping & Design > drainage
Expert: Russel Ray - 9/22/2008
Question
QUESTION: new house, new lanscape.
water does not drain off patio correctly so I have been digging a "little river" bed to drain the water away from patio, through the gravel aprt of the yard and towards the drainage hole in the block wall between the back and front of the house.
is this a good idea?
can I just put river rock down in the flow line or is ther something else I need to do.
ANSWER: Hey, Debi.
What you're doing is creating a very simple "French drain." The best French drains are very complicated, but there's nothing wrong with yours and it should work fine. You might have to "clean it up" a little as it gets used because it will tend to get filled in, or you might have to widen it or deepen it once you see how it works for the average rain storm versus the monsoon rain storm.
Hope that helps.
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: can I put the rocks down alone or I saw somwthing about rip rap??? I have seen other drain streams where the river rock is laid in concrete.
Answer
Hey, Debi.
The rip rap will help keep the rocks in place if you get a significant water flow through your river. Unless you're absolutely sure of the size of your river, I wouldn't set it in concrete, so to speak. That would make it less flexible for increasing the size if it's too small to handle the water flow.
If you put the rock down alone, vary some of the sizes just like you would findin a natural riverbed. A few large ones here and there will also help hold the smaller ones in place.
Stop by Borders, Waldenbooks, Barnes & Noble, or the gardening section of your library or Home Depot and look at the river/water/pond landscaping books to get some ideas of what you can do to make your river natural looking and effective.
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