[Michael196]

HI folks

As a native of Clonmel Co Tipp, i am used to flooding, but as living on top of a sandy hill in wexford, flooding was the last possible thing that i thought could occur to my site.

I have about 1/5 under water still, some beech, rhodies, roses double de coubert, holly , berberis, malus and a plum tree remaining under water, for week thre now i guess.

the holly started almost to float as i went down there for inspection one day last week, and its like it was trying to lift itself up, it was rocking on 2 roots, so i staked down on either side.

Wait and see whats survives........

[kindredspirit]

Lovely selection of trees.

Hope they all pull through.

[Sive]

I am shocked by your ( lovely ) photos ! We, too, live on a hill in Wexford and we have felt so relieved to be safe from flooding...in fact we joke that if we ever flood here it'll be time for everyone to build an ark....but there you are, we should never be too smug about what the weather can throw at us.
I do so hope all your lovely trees and shrubs survive, you are obviously developing what will grow into a beautiful garden.

[Michael196]

thanks folks

the problem lies about 6 feet down: there is 1-2 foot of top soil followed by 4 feet of sand, then we get a gravel layer that is quite tough, before sand again below that layer.

water lodges on the gravel / sand layey and does not penetrate through.

In two other areas of the garden i have relieved flooding by digging down with a mechanical digger , braking through that gravel yaer and back filling with grit and stones. This has worked realy well in two other areas prone to flooding.

plan for next summer is to brak open a hole in this flooded area also.

trees being sown here have to break through that layer, otherwise they will not prosper.

The sandy condition makes a dry hard site in summer, so tonnes of has been put onto the site for planting trees etc and hedging

[Sive]

I take it you are somewhere to the south of the county, as further north the problems are quite different where the macamore lies....a totally impermeable layer of clay I believe......all these soils are leftovers from glaciation I think, the county is probably really interesting to a geologist!
But then we humble gardeners have to cope as best we can....and here we go again....more rain today and the ground is like a wet sponge already.

[Michael196]

Hi Sive

I am in Castlebridge

[Sive]

A lovely part of the world it is too!