Share
Hi There,
I have a stromwater drain and pits at the back fence of the house (pic attached).
What plants/shrubs, I can and cannot plant. Also, I am looking for ideas to hide those pits.
Thank you
Bronel
Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @kjcra. It's amazing to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about this project.
Let me mention @bronelchristian, so they are alerted to your question. Hopefully, they'll be able to update us on the plants they selected.
Perhaps you'd like to post a picture of the stormwater pit you are trying to disguise. That way, our members will be able to offer some advice tailored to your needs.
Looking forward to hearing more about your project.
Mitchell
This is a really interesting dikscusion
Here is my dilemma 6 months after turfing the yard over the retention pit. I am faced with heavy clay soil which has had top soil added. But looking at this outcome I don't think the landscaper paid much attention to the pit. We had a different company lay the turf which was fine through the summer but come autumn we have a problem. How should I tackle this?
Hi @Phil_Y,
From the photo, I can see the lawn is looking quite sparse and yellow in places, and it also looks like the pit has sunk a little below the surface of the yard.
The fact that you’ve got a stormwater grate in the middle of the lawn suggests your yard might be a collection point for water. These areas can often stay wetter for longer and become boggy, which could be part of the reason the grass is struggling to take off.
I don’t think the stormwater pit itself is directly causing the yellowing, but it’s possible the conditions around it—like poor drainage or compacted soil—are playing a role. If you’re happy to share a bit more detail about your project and what issues you’re hoping to fix, I’m sure the community would be glad to offer some helpful suggestions.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Mitchell
Hi Mitchell
I am keen to investigate your thoughts like poor drainage or compacted soil. What could I supply you with to give you a better idea of our situation?
The site was levelled 10 years ago prior to the new build. We bordered the yard with Verbernum and had a bessa block retaining wall 2 rows high where required. This is a photo before the knock down rebuild. All this went.
Hi @Phil_Y,
Thanks for the extra detail — that really helps paint a clearer picture of what might be going on. From what you’ve described, it sounds like the rebuild may have significantly altered your yard’s drainage compared to what you had before, especially if the grading or soil structure was changed during construction. That could explain why the lawn is struggling around the stormwater pit.
To get a better idea of the current conditions, it would be helpful if you could let us know how long the area surrounding the pit takes to dry out after rain. If the soil is still saturated more than three days after rain that could be an indication that drainge needs to be improved.
It would also be handy to know what the soil feels like underfoot—whether it’s hard or soft—as that can point to either compaction or drainage issues. If you're comfortable doing a quick test, you could dig a hole about 30cm deep, fill it with water, and see how long it takes to drain. If it’s still sitting there after a couple of hours, that’s a good indication of poor drainage.
Mitchell
