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Native front yard with flagstone pathway, river rock, and Florida native plantings installed by Living Spaces Gardening in Tampa Bay FL

The side yard that kept holding water

Tampa Bay, FL

Water pooled along the side of the house. We drained it and planted it native.

Native planting French drain Flagstone path Irrigation 2026

What was wrong

Heavy clay soil held the water, and the roof had no gutters to move it away. Every rain flooded the side yard and the backyard, right up against the house.

What we did

We installed a French drain to carry water away from the house. A flagstone path set in decorative rock now runs from the front yard to the backyard. New irrigation and drip lines water the beds without waste, and the front and side yards got Florida natives picked for this soil, this much water, and this much light.

What it does now

After a storm, the side yard drains in less than 20 minutes. The path gives a safe, mud-free walk to the backyard. The natives bring in pollinators, show off Florida's beauty, and drink up the extra water.

Species guide

Every plant here is doing a job.

The work

From flooded to finished.

Open trench with drain pipe, filter fabric, gravel, and a catch basin grate along the side of a house in Tampa Bay FL, installed by Living Spaces Gardening
BeforeThe French drain trench going in along the side of the house.
Flagstone stepping stones being set over a new French drain beside an AC unit in a Tampa Bay FL side yard by Living Spaces Gardening
DuringFlagstones set over the new drain, with the grate in place.
Finished side yard with flagstone path in river rock, stone edging, and native shrubs by Living Spaces Gardening in Tampa Bay FL
AfterA dry, mud-free path to the backyard.
Side-yard flagstone stepping stones set in river rock with native plants along a vinyl fence by Living Spaces Gardening in Tampa Bay FL
AfterThe side yard that used to hold water. Now it drains, and you can walk it.
Native front yard with flagstone pathway, river rock, and Florida native plantings installed by Living Spaces Gardening in Tampa Bay FL
Front yardNative beds, a flagstone path, and river rock across the whole front of the house.
Flagstone and river rock walkway leading from the driveway through native plantings by Living Spaces Gardening in Tampa Bay FL
Front yardFlagstone set in river rock, running from the drive through the new beds.

Start here

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