Dry Creek Beds

Dry creek beds are a practical and attractive landscape gardening solution for areas that tend to consistently accumulate puddles of water after rainfall.

If you have a sloping area in the garden that is being eroded away, forming a natural gutter after heavy rain, this could be the spot to build a dry creek bed. This will allow drainage to flow where it is directed.

Dry creek beds need very little maintenance once established and debris collected in the bed will contribute to the natural effect. They can be planted out with suitable plants such as grasses, reeds and a host of water-tolerant plants within the creek bed, adding any suitable plant outside the creek for colour.

These features usually only hold water for a short time after a downpour and can be used to direct water to a drainage point.

When creating a dry creek bed, its shape and depression has to be dug out, then built up with aggregate, pebbles, river pebbles, before larger rocks are strategically placed.

A footbridge may be added to allow crossing the creek when the creek is holding water. This adds both a practical and attractive element.

When creating a dry creek bed, the shape and depression has to be dug out and then built up with aggregate, pebbles, river pebbles and then larger rocks are strategically placed.

A foot bridge may be added to allow crossing of the creek in the event that the creek is holding water. This adds a practical and attractive element to the dry creek bed.