I think Celmisia likes a moist spot, Astelia might also be worth trying.
If you could make it a raised bed it would improve drainage for more fussy plants.
That’s interesting. I had an Astelia which I assumed would like a warm sunny border (because that’s what most silver plants like) and it died in a previous garden. Maybe it just wasn’t moist enough.
Sorry - I've just seen this @Foxwillow . Builders' sand is generally the stuff used to make mortar and concrete, so that's not what you want. It makes the problem worse because it holds everything together. Coarse sand, grit sand or sharp sand - they're often labelled differently, is what you need. Or git itself, but you'd need a lot of it, which becomes expensive unless it's for a very small area. Most people only use it for pots or similar. Carex Everest and Evergold are quite similar. Evergold is green with creamy/yellow variegation. I think Everest is paler - more cream than yellow. I only have Evergold here.
Ah! I’d been at Norwell Nurseries who had made a border on clay from “builders sand”. I had some left from building works and just used that. There was a few bags of horticultural grit in there too but it obviously needs more work to lighten the soil.
I've got Lambs Ears (stachys Byzantine Silver Carpet) growing in a very damp border because it gets very little sun on north side of a fence and subsoil is clay. Maybe no one told it that it likes sun and free draining soil 😂 I've had it 5 years, it probably doesn't grow as tall as it should but it provides ground cover
There’s always a plant that does it’s own thing 😀. I’ve got a self seeded Stachys Lanata that could be repositioned on a raised gritty mound.
Astelias aren't hardy everywhere, so you may be in too cold an area for them. I wouldn't have thought they'd like soggy wet soil either, due to their nature. It's always worth checking the nature of the sand before using it, because of labelling. If it doesn't have a nice gritty texture, it can be a problem. Usually, builders' sand is the wrong type, but maybe the border you've mentioned was made using a gritty one. It can be difficult to determine the make up of it without actually feeling the texture.
I'd say manure is still the best addition for your bed. You'll be adding grit for evermore if the ground's waterlogged, and sometimes gravel -even grit, can create a sump if the surrounding soil is heavy, and the excess water just feeds into it. It's worth digging down in that area to see the reason for it being so bad if the rest of the border is ok. There could be a solid layer of clay, or very compacted ground there. It may be that the footings from the edging and paving are preventing excess water getting away too.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Hi @Foxwillow May be you are going round and round with all the wonderful ideas suggested. Andrew at Norwell is always very busy at this time of year but perhaps he can help. Guess you have visited his nursery I love his garden
I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
Foxwillow - how about Gomphostigma virgatum? Evergreen, silver leaves, loves damp soil but will survive sandysoil.
I’ve never seen this but it ticks boxes. It might get a bit too large but looks like it can be pruned to keep it smaller.
I’ve actually planted a Carex Everest now but I have another spot coming up which now has the Gomphostigma’s name on it for when I can find one.
@GardenerSuze I’ve only been to Norwell once on the way home from a weekend in the south for my partner’s hobby but came away with a backseat full of plants as compensation. I had less than an hour so very little time to look at the garden itself (but the 5 minutes I did get resulted in another two plants being added to the basket) 😊
@Foxwillow Andrew's plant knowledge is amazing. I worked for a couple called Joan and Robin Grout. When they died they wanted their Galanthus collection to be sold for charity. Andrew was able to just look at a row of them and name each one. I think he still has Pulmonaria Joan's Red at his nursery today.
I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
I’m always in awe of people who are able to recognise specific varieties of plants where there is, to the untrained eye, very little difference. I wish I lived closer to the nursery as it was full of absolute gems (but I would be bankrupt).
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It's always worth checking the nature of the sand before using it, because of labelling. If it doesn't have a nice gritty texture, it can be a problem. Usually, builders' sand is the wrong type, but maybe the border you've mentioned was made using a gritty one. It can be difficult to determine the make up of it without actually feeling the texture.
I'd say manure is still the best addition for your bed. You'll be adding grit for evermore if the ground's waterlogged, and sometimes gravel -even grit, can create a sump if the surrounding soil is heavy, and the excess water just feeds into it. It's worth digging down in that area to see the reason for it being so bad if the rest of the border is ok. There could be a solid layer of clay, or very compacted ground there. It may be that the footings from the edging and paving are preventing excess water getting away too.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I worked for a couple called Joan and Robin Grout. When they died they wanted their Galanthus collection to be sold for charity. Andrew was able to just look at a row of them and name each one. I think he still has Pulmonaria Joan's Red at his nursery today.