Why Should You Consider Dry Creek or Riverbed Landscaping in Calgary?
If left unchecked, poor drainage can do significant harm to your home. So, why not enhance the look and drainage properties of your yard at the same time? This is where dry creek landscaping does well!
Dry creeks and dry river beds are a great way to transform your outdoor living spaces while adding an extra level of functionality that can go a long way in protecting your home from water and ice damage.
At Calgary Dreamscapes, we specialize in projects like dry creek landscaping, which enhances your yard’s ambiance and ensures that water runoff from snow and/or rain drains properly away from your home.
Reasons to Install a Dry Creek or Riverbed
Multiple situations could lead you to discover the benefits of installing a dry creek or dry riverbed landscape in your Calgary yard. However, it’s usually a combination of the following that leads homeowners to take action.
Soggy yard: after a downpour or snow, if your yard is soggy, then the installation of a dry riverbed can beautify the space and ensure that water is draining correctly out of your yard.
Soil erosion: if your yard is experiencing soil erosion due to the pooling of water and snow, then a properly constructed dry creek would be useful for moving that moisture away from the eroding soil.
Protection: as mentioned above, dry creeks are a great way to protect the foundation of your house from water pooling and potential ice seepage by moving water away to the gutter.
Aesthetics: a dry creek or riverbed is a great wall to enhance your outdoor living space with a new rock feature that needs very little maintenance.
Basics of Dry Creek/Riverbed Construction
How would Calgary Dreamscapes construct a dry creek on your property? Here are the general steps we follow for dry riverbed landscaping in Calgary.
#1 – Planning and marking your dry creek
First, our team of professional landscapers will discuss your needs for the dry creek as a homeowner. If, for example, you need improved water drainage, we will consider the best route for the job. If the dry riverbed is purely for ornamental reasons, we have more flexibility regarding where it will be installed.
Some considerations we make during this discovery process include how wide the yard space is relative to the size of the dry riverbed. Typically, the larger the yard, the larger the dry riverbed you’ll need, and vice versa.
Also, remember that dry creeks in nature do not follow straight lines; to make yours look as natural as possible, we recommend installing it in a meandering fashion as you would see in the wilderness.
#2 – Excavation
Once we’ve discussed your dry riverbed landscaping project in Calgary at length and agreed on design and pricing, we begin the project with excavation.
We typically use skid steers to remove any top grass, then dig into the top soil while making the centre of the stream pathway a little deeper to allow water to collect and rush away more easily.
#3 – Filter Membrane
Essential to any dry creek landscaping in Calgary is a filter cloth, which will act as a membrane to prevent weeds from growing between the rocks after installation.
The cloth also helps keep the water above ground in case of erosion problems in the soil.
#4 – Adding Rocks
Choose your rocks and/or boulders from various aggregates of different colours and patterns for your dry creek or riverbed. Bulk landscaping orders are the best option for this, something we can help you with no problem.
Our team of professionals will transport the riverbed materials to the site for installation. The stones are placed on top of the filter cloth, acting as splash guards and erosion preventers.
#5 – Adding Vegetation
Indigenous trees and shrubs planted along the rock embankments also help create an extensive root system, which maintains the soil’s integrity and prevents further water erosion. This also aids in creating more of a natural-looking landscape.
However, it’s totally up to you whether that will work for your yard or not. Many of our past clients have chosen just to go with the dry rock stream, as they are a beautiful landscape feature on their own!
Questions about Dry Creek Landscaping in Calgary?
Want to know more about dry creek or dry riverbed landscaping for your home in the Calgary Metropolitan Area? Contact our team of professionals anytime or give us a call directly at 403-471-7588 to discuss your landscaping goals, and we’ll be happy to provide you with a 100% free quote for your next project!