Splash pad irrigation!

I wanted to share this and permies felt like the only place other folks would be interested!

I have 2 toddlers I need to keep entertained while I do chores, and during the summer, a small splash pad bring them tons of joy. I was working in the garden and letting the boys play, and I noticed all the excess water was heading down our driveway. That felt like a total waste.

Our entire lot is on a gentle slope, with the garden and main play area at the top. Most of the lot is clay and one particular area is quite sandy and dry, with patches of bare dirt between some sparse grass. I planted some clover earlier in the year to see if it would take without amending the dirt much, and it did okay, but a lot of it didn't make it once it got hot out. I really want it to be a clover/wildflower meadow that we (and the bees) can enjoy!

Cue an idea! I moved the splash pad just above the dry/barren area. We played and I watched where the water trickled down to figure out where I would put seeds. I already had a bag of organic top soil on hand, and spread that over the area and tossed white and red clover seeds out. A few day later and we have tons of little clover sprouts, and I don't feel as bad running the splash pad!

Oh, and an unintentional bonus - vole management. I have noticed an increasing population of voles since we moved here. Apparently the voles decided to tear up the ground and make a tunnel system "down stream" of the splash pad. I didn't realize this until I noticed the neighborhood cats catching them!

Yes, we do a bit of splash pad irrigation every summer. I find that I have to move the splash pad every couple of days so that it doesn't kill the grass underneath it, though. Between the splash pad and a bit of hand watering on the rhubarb and other plants, we keep our sideyard nice and green.

Hannah Medley wrote: I planted some clover earlier in the year to see if it would take without amending the dirt much, and it did okay, but a lot of it didn't make it once it got hot out. I really want it to be a clover/wildflower meadow that we (and the bees) can enjoy!

What kind of clover did you plant?  Some are a winter variety.

Andrea said,  alsike clover could be planted as early as the start of February but it looks like most of the others should be planted early March

https://permies.com/t/154916/Planting-Clover#1214111

As for the water running down the drive way, maybe there is a way to bloke the water.  Some logs, a raise bed, etc.

Permaculture, stacking functions!  The little ones get to play, an area of the yard gets watered so things can grow, and the voles get flushed out and caught by the neighbourhood cats who are thus entertained and less voles for you.