Boggy, Marshy, Wetlands. UGH!

[Tabby]

Hello All!
I have an issue. I have a hill descending to my front door. At the top of the hill, I plan on doing a vegetable garden with a few fruit bushes. It is well drained and sunny with a few shady spots if I choose to use them. I love that area. However, to get to that area, I have to slosh through the part of the yard that catches all the drainage off the hill. I rent so serious construction is not an option. I would happily deal with this watery area if there were some pretty flowers I could plant here. Since I am renting and it is right by my front door, trees are not an option for me. Trees are the only thing I seem to find online to plant here, (willows; beautiful but no can do.). Does anyone have any ideas on pretty flowers, or perhaps a fix that would not get me in trouble with the landlord? I would also prefer to go kind of cheap considering we plan on moving within the next 3-5 years. I know this seems like an impossible fix, but that's why I am here! LOL! Thanks.
Tabby
P.S.
I live in 6a hardiness zone.

[rainbowgardener]

Wow! That's very bad drainage for the house, to have water collecting in front of the front door. The landlord would be better off to do something about that if he wants to preserve the structural integrity of the house.

There are flowers you can plant for that. Google "plants for rain garden." Rain gardens are gardens people plant at the bottom of downspouts to use the water (rather than let it go into the sewer system) and plants for them are generally things that can tolerate flooding and can tolerate drying out more when there is no rain (as opposed to bog plants that never like to dry out).

However, given how bad that drainage is for the house, either you or the owner should think about installing French drains or other drainage channels to move the water away. Short of the drain pipe, you can just dig some trenches.

[applestar]

I agree it needs to be fixed, but until then some kind of bog garden would be ideal as mentioned. I don't think you mentioned what kind of sun exposure the wet area gets? Also please mention the geographical area because I prefer to recommend native plants and definitely not plants that would be considered invasive in the area.

I have four areas (not by my front door ) that are like that -- three of them on purpose (rain gardens) and planted according to level of wetness and sun exposure.

Fourth area is in the sunny portion of the front yard where previous neighbor had re-graded and re-directed his rain gutters and is tricky because of extreme hard pan clay subsoil, and summer drought that completely dries the area out when it doesn't rain. It's currently all lawn but gets boggy wet after heavy rains and runs off to the sidewalk and the street. Part of the area contains underground gas and cable lines for the said neighbor that cuts across a portion of our property so no extensive digging AND the neighbors teenage kids and friends park along the street curb that extends along our property and cuts across the lawn so sometimes lots of foot traffic. I'm trying to plant above the grade of all that and get the plants to soak up the excess moisture. My goal is NOT to see any puddles on the sidewalk after rain.

For the wet walking area, maybe place a series of cinderblock footers and build a sort of boardwalk path? If you have the funds, you could get a pre-built "garden bridge" for the wettest part. I've wanted one for years now, but alas, other expenses take priority.