Ask Mr. Smarty Plants

Much as we hate to say this, your problem is way out of the range of Mr. Smarty Plant's specialty and expertise, even with our magic wand. We don't know anything about site preparation codes or zoning in Fairfax, VA. (We don't know much about it in Austin, either.) We're not sure whether to recommend a lawyer or a bulldozer, but we are going to do neither. Some questions you need to ask yourself are: is it only your yard that is not draining or are others in your neighborhood having the same problem? Were all or most of the new houses in your neighborhood built by the same builder, or landscaped by the same contractor? Was there a site inspection before, during and after construction? Some local authority, city, county, etc. should have employees trained to inspect a site for usability before it is too late to fix it. When you have just bought and moved into a new home with all the financial responsibilities involved is not a good time to find out that a basic procedure in the preparation of your site has been left undone.

We don't know how severe your problem is, we're gardeners, not construction or landscaping specialists. Clay soil can be amended with organic material, such as compost, and some rocks can be accommodated. In fact, that's about all the plants have to grow in around here. But lots of rocks and certainly construction waste should have been removed, before any fill dirt went in. And the fill dirt should have been graded and checked for drainage requirements. You could build some raised beds, with low walls, to hold amended soil and plant some things. The biggest problem with clay is that it holds water, which only adds to your drainage problems. There are plants that will tolerate wet feet for a while, but then when dry weather hits, they are probably going to die. Frankly, suggesting alternative plants for your garden is not practical until you have resolved some of the more basic problems. When you get a better feel for the situation, please get back to us and let us suggest some native plants recommended for your area.