Improving Drainage & Water Retention With Resin-Bound Surfacing

The climate has fallen into a rhythm this January: mornings are bright and crisp, the afternoons warm and dry.  

Rain is rare here. But when it hit in December it was so relentless it turned my driveway into a shallow lake.  

I noticed the water pooling and lingering. It refused to drain away and left behind a mess of silt and gravel. I even noticed tiny, baby mosquito larvae fidgeting about in an inch and a half of precarious existence.

It’s such difficult earth in Spain.

In the summer it’s so hot and tough, and when it rains it just runs straight off or stays pooled.

It doesn’t drain into groundwater.

After a few conversations with my new expat friends, I’ve been recommended resurfacing parts of the garden and driveway with a resin-bound surface. According to gardening experts, a proper resin binder for resin-bound floor surfaces helps with drainage and keep my driveway in Spain from becoming a temporary pond. 

Also, it can keep and retain groundwater for a little longer when it gets hot.

All going well and my Irish garden will be thriving. The foxgloves continue their determined fight against the Spanish sun and my primroses—though not as vibrant as they were in Ireland—have settled into their new reality. The shamrocks, stubborn and persistent, continue their slow spread much like me adapting in a foreign land. 

As I water the plants in the early morning, I think about how much my life has changed.

A year ago, I was still in Ireland, still grieving so heavily that I could barely see beyond the weight of my loss.  

Now, I have a small but growing clutch of friends. Just last night,I had dinner with a few expats from different corners of the world. We laughed over various plates of tapas and traded stories about adjusting to life in Spain, sharing recommendations for everything from accountants to the best place to buy teabags. 

There are still moments of loneliness where I wake up and expect to find Bryan beside me.

The ache of his absence hasn’t disappeared. But it has softened and allowed room for other things. Later today, I’ll call a company about the resin-bound surfacing. The thought of dealing with construction and logistics in a foreign language is daunting, but I understand there are English-speaking contractors nearby.

If I can learn to grow an Irish garden in Spanish soil, I can certainly figure out how to get a driveway that won’t flood every time the rain decides to make an appearance!

One step at a time, I remind myself.

Just like the garden, just like grief, just like life. 

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