Water Features + Ponds
Waterlogged Garden
You would think with all the rain we get in this country that our plants would be used to an excess amount of water, but if you have an area of your garden that is prone to being water logged you know how difficult it is to find plants that can survive such conditions! Sven suggests some attractive, water-loving plants for your problem area...
Hi Sven,
When it rains the bottom of my garden becomes quite waterlogged. Any plants that I have put in this area before have not survived as a result of the excess water. Can you recommend some plants that do well in wet conditions?
Kind regards,
Lolly
Our Gardens Expert replies:
Hi Lolly,
There are few plants that will grow in a soil that is permanently waterlogged. What you seem to be describing though is an area that floods immediately after heavy rain but then dries out completely after a few days. If this is the case there are quite a few plants that would do reasonably well in these conditions and I will suggest a few that you can try.
If, however, this area stays permanently waterlogged I'm afraid the only option is to have it properly drained by having land drains installed leading to a soak away pit. In addition you can also dig in large quantities of organic matter and grit as this can often be quite effective in improving drainage.
Some plants that will do well in areas that flood occasionally include, a spring flowering plants such as Primula - both the native Primrose and also Cowslips. Also the later flowering Fritillaria meleagris often thrives in such a situation and will cope with soil that becomes baked and cracked open once the bulbs are dormant.
Some of the decorative grasses such as Carex buchananii (with red leaves up to 18in (45.7cm) high - a most attractive plant) will do well. Cornus alba 'Elegantissima' will thrive in these conditions and has decorative white-edged, leaves, and also coloured bark Cornuses such as Cornus alba 'Sibirica' with red stems and Cornus stolonifera 'Flaviramea' with bright yellow stems.
The common Honeysuckle will also tolerate these conditions and put on a good show as will lots of Iris species and cultivars, for example Iris pseudacorus and Iris kaempferi.
You may well find that as some of these become established the structure of the soil will start to slowly improve and it may be possible to try a wider range of shrubs in future. The only real solution if you wish to grow a wider range of plants though is to improve the drainage as suggested above.
All the best,
Sven
Is your garden Bogged Down? See what advice Sibe has to help you combat the drainage problems in your garden.
The above image is of a Primrose 'Primula vulgaris, available from Crocus.
When it rains the bottom of my garden becomes quite waterlogged. Any plants that I have put in this area before have not survived as a result of the excess water. Can you recommend some plants that do well in wet conditions?
Kind regards,
Lolly
Our Gardens Expert replies:
Hi Lolly,
There are few plants that will grow in a soil that is permanently waterlogged. What you seem to be describing though is an area that floods immediately after heavy rain but then dries out completely after a few days. If this is the case there are quite a few plants that would do reasonably well in these conditions and I will suggest a few that you can try.
If, however, this area stays permanently waterlogged I'm afraid the only option is to have it properly drained by having land drains installed leading to a soak away pit. In addition you can also dig in large quantities of organic matter and grit as this can often be quite effective in improving drainage.
Some plants that will do well in areas that flood occasionally include, a spring flowering plants such as Primula - both the native Primrose and also Cowslips. Also the later flowering Fritillaria meleagris often thrives in such a situation and will cope with soil that becomes baked and cracked open once the bulbs are dormant.
Some of the decorative grasses such as Carex buchananii (with red leaves up to 18in (45.7cm) high - a most attractive plant) will do well. Cornus alba 'Elegantissima' will thrive in these conditions and has decorative white-edged, leaves, and also coloured bark Cornuses such as Cornus alba 'Sibirica' with red stems and Cornus stolonifera 'Flaviramea' with bright yellow stems.
The common Honeysuckle will also tolerate these conditions and put on a good show as will lots of Iris species and cultivars, for example Iris pseudacorus and Iris kaempferi.
You may well find that as some of these become established the structure of the soil will start to slowly improve and it may be possible to try a wider range of shrubs in future. The only real solution if you wish to grow a wider range of plants though is to improve the drainage as suggested above.
All the best,
Sven
Is your garden Bogged Down? See what advice Sibe has to help you combat the drainage problems in your garden.
The above image is of a Primrose 'Primula vulgaris, available from Crocus.
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