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Reliable long flower season perennials for clay soil

WonkyWombleWonkyWomble Posts: 4,541
in Plants
As the title suggests I'm looking for people with experience of growing in clay soil, what perennial plants would people recommend please?
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  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    Is the soil amended at all?
  • zugeniezugenie Posts: 831
    Would be handy to know how much sun the plants would get and whether the bed stays consistently moist or dries out in the summer
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Yes -as @zugenie says -is the soil improved so that it stays in good nick all year round?
    Shade or sun?
    I've only ever had clay soil, and I can grow plenty of things either way, but my soil's improved, and the sun loving plants are mostly in raised beds.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • WonkyWombleWonkyWomble Posts: 4,541
    It's hard to say what has been done to the soil in the past as my customers are new owners.  It is an established garden with a lot of shrubs which have been left unprunned so got floppy and leggy. The soil has lots of wormsand a gradual slight slope from back of the wide boarder down to the front,  only slight but I think it will help drainage.  It's too large and expensive to dig grit into the whole thing so I'll plant anything new with a bit in the bottom of the holes! Gets sun most of the day. Thank you all very much, I don't have a great deal of experience with growing in clay except I get taller when I've been working in it!! 🤣
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    edited February 2022
    I think it would be worth balling it and see if it holds into a ball shape - tight or loose. Roll it into a sausage and then bend the sausage. The more you can bend the sausage the more clay it has.

    Growing in pure clay (to make pots with) that sets rock hard in the summer might be a challenge. Do you have reign to add rotted manure in?

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Plenty of organic matter will help. Far bettre than adding grit   :)
    Knapweeds should be fine, and Lychnis is ok too. Liatris, Heleniums and Astrantias should all cope. Asters and Agastaches will be fine as well if they don't get waterlogged over winter. Crocosmia is later, but you'd get the succession when it's alongside others, like the Asters and Heleniums. 
    I grow all of those here without any major problems.  :)

    You could also try herbaceous clematis.
    I don't do pastel colours, but others will have suggestions for those if that's what's preferred. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    Clay-based soil is only a problem if it gets waterlogged regularly, otherwise it's excellent stuff.  If the drainage is ok, then you can pretty much plant what you like (best to avoid anything which needs very sharp drainage, though.)
    If it is waterlogged, then you will need to be much more careful with plant selection.  Is it boggy at the moment?
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    You probably have these already
    Purple toadflax, penstemon, candytuft ( the white one), wild marjoram, stubby salvias, centaurea, VB, fuchsia etc and all the usual suspects
    The only amending my soil gets is spent compost. But it's been getting it for twenty years.I
    I'm sure they are amazing plants out there but if you're to idle to deal with slugs delights, the options are limited 
    Did the penstemon survive?
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    Agree with @Fairygirl and @BobTheGardener.  Cay soil is very fertile usually and is best improved with organic matter rather than grit.  As you go round weeding and clearing, pile on well-rotted manure or garden compost and mix it into any new planting holes.

    You don't mention light levels or acidity/alkalinity but you should find that hardy geraniums, perennial foxgloves, Michaelmas daisies, peonies, bergenia, helenium, phlox, hellebores, aconitum, actea, achillea, veronicastrum, pulmonaria, agastache and so on will be happy in the right spot.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • WonkyWombleWonkyWomble Posts: 4,541
    It's only boggy now at the front of the bed where it meets that lawn edge I assume because of the gradual slope. The only plant other than shrubs in there is a blasted geranium that spreads like nuts and produces a few pink flowers.  Really invasive!

    The roses I've put in a really happy.  I'm allowed muck  so that's going in!!
    Crocosmia, they will like that,  low maintenance.  Asters will also be great,  thanks @Fairygirl, @BobTheGardener, @Fire and @zugenie! Any other ideas very welcome!!
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