http://picasaweb.google.com/117506149617855971704

Sorry for dog crap in photo.

This is my first project and I am excited!

Small yard. From where picture was taken to wall in photo, it is 12 feet. Length is about 50 foot grassy part.

I plan on making a winding snake trail to the very back (where dog crap is) and leaving that back there to grow for the dogs bathroom area. On both sides of the winding snake trail, I will have plants. I need help because I don't want to drown my future plants and I don't want to keep having a flooding backyard. The walkway I thought of stone bricks and pea gravel around the large ones all on top of sand.

My neighbor's house is right next to mine and she doesn't have any gutters which causes the water in the picture. She is a poor neighbor and I know can't afford gutters right now.

My yard is on a slight slope (maybe seen in picture) from the back of the yard being higher than where I took the picture. The water runs from the back and off her roof toward my patio.

Where the water collects is not a hole at all! The previous owner had built a small place for a garden about 2 foot by 2 foot with large stones going around it. I removed it before the storm and this is what happened. It collected where that use to be.

Sorry for long winded explanation.

My question is what would be the best solution in this case? I am trying my darnest to not spend very much money if I could just labor the work myself.

French drain seems to cost too much money and I would have to force it under the stone patio which I am not familiar with doing unless it is easier than I think?

I thought about adding some moist plants but I didnt want to drown them or dry them out during the hot summer months to come.

I have heard of a dry creek bed but since the water is rushing off her roof, wouldnt that just push the rocks cause maintenance after every storm?

Someone had suggested using the water as a home grown river to irrigate my plants. So basically dig a trail for the water to run in the backyard to move it away from that corner.

If you have read this far, thank you so much. Any suggestions or even a possible thought from your own experience would be very helpful!

If you skipped to the bottom without reading, just look at the pictures and suggest a way to bypass the flooding caused from the roof next door that collects next to my neighbors house.