i have a cabin on a lake in upstate new york. the front lawn is large and beautiful and includes about 150 feet of lake front property. the property is oval shaped. if you were to take the oval and cut it in half, the upper half is surrounded by water. we have a large hill behind the property and when it rains the water rushes down toward the lake. the lawn has always been damp however this year's bizarre rain fall has left it almost under water. we are going to be doing some irrigation to stop the run off from the hill but people have been telling us that we should plant tree's or plants on the sides of the lawn and in the middle of the lawn to "suck up the water". willow's, hydrangea's, and other things have been suggested. my question is this...
the lawn get's about 4 to 6 hours of direct sunlight per day. what would be the best plant to plant to take away some of the dampness? will it make any difference? i have heard that hydrangea's can drink up to a gallon of water a day. is this true? are there any plants that might be better?
any help would be greatly appreciated.
thanks,
dennis