New garden

nr.32

Hi, I've just moved into a new build and I don't know how best to start. It's clay soil and east facing. I want to put a patio up the top by the house but water doesn't drain easily. I'm going to get horse manure to dig in where I want flower beds. Does anyone have any advice in how to prepare the garden? Thanks

nr.32

Busy-Lizzie

Oh dear, that does look wet. There is a glitch with photos, you have to reduce the size a bit. You will deal with some sort of drainage for a patio. I expect some advice will arrive soon.

AnniD

I have no personal experience of laying a patio but l do know that it needs to drain away from the house and be below the damp proof course.
There are loads of videos and stuff online, of which this is just one.

https://www.wickes.co.uk/how-to-guides/garden-landscaping/lay-a-patio

Are you planning on laying on to mortar or just sand ?

As for the garden, are you having any turf (or artificial grass) to take into account or will the rest be flower beds ? Is there always a drainage problem or was it just exceptional at the time the photos were taken ?
Many new build sites have a problem with drainage due to the compaction of machinery etc so it my be that once you start openjng the soil up by digging, things will improve.

Do you have some idea of how you want the layout to be ? If yiu could provide a sketch (doesn't havd to be brilliant), then that will help with advice 

JennyJ

Get the hard landscaping done first - patio, path, raised beds if you decide to go down that route to get better-drained planting spaces.