Are streams and puddles of brown water overtaking your green grass? Are you swimming in your shoes while walking across your lawn? Then it might be time to give your yard the assistance it needs to stay dry. These tips can help you stop spring and summer weather from raining on your parade.

DIY solutions

Most times, a small to moderately muddy yard can be fixed with a do-it-yourself solution. Try one of the following ideas before you go over budget to upend your yard. 

Plant a rain garden

Designate an area that tends to flood to be a rain garden full of plants that thrive in excess moisture. Tall grasses like Zebra grass can act as natural filters by soaking up water preventing runoff. Deep-rooted plants like perennials soak and store water to survive during dry periods. While this won’t completely prevent a muddy yard, it can conceal a muddy area with decorative plants, making it less likely you’ll step into it.

Extend gutter downspouts

A lot of homeowners are confused about how long their downspout should be. The answer can be tricky because it depends on your landscaping, elevation, and other property factors. However, pools of water and mud near your downspouts undoubtedly means it’s time to extend them. Head to a local home improvement store and talk to an associate about your options. Popular budget-friendly extensions, such as aluminum, plastic splash blocks, and plastic tubing, connect straight to your existing gutter drain to give it extra length. It’s also a good idea to add rocks near where the water will exit to slow and disperse the runoff. More intensive options like a buried drain pipe might require the help of a professional and a bigger budget.

Professional help

A yard that’s completely covered in mud and puddles may require professional help. Don’t try to take everything on by yourself—a professional can assess and give you the right course of action rather than conducting a trial by error. The following are two common solutions you can ask a contractor about.

Create a creek bed

Digging a creek bed at a gentle slope and lining it with rocks is one of the most effective solutions for a flat yard that needs a runoff point. The drainage ditch that a landscaper digs is called a swale, and the swale is typically lined with landscaping fabric and rocks to define its shape and prevent runoff and erosion. Water that flows in typically soaks into the soil over time and doesn’t flow back out or overflow if it’s dug to a deep enough depth, which a landscaper can calculate. As a bonus, it’s also decorative. The creek bed creates a natural-looking water feature you can use to attract wildlife or add attractive landscaping to your lawn.

Install a French drain  

A French drain is a perforated drainpipe, typically made of plastic, that runs underneath your lawn to channel water away without disrupting your yard space. To successfully install one, a landscaper needs to identify where the water pools, and then dig a trench lined with gravel to lay the pipe away from your home. You’ll also need to consider your neighbors and your municipality’s codes for digging. While it may cost more than any other solution listed here, it is virtually guaranteed to fix your watery lawn.