Water Retention
Marilyn Walter
Posts: 27
My garden is saturated with water, after a very wet winter and the last few weeks of heavy rain large areas are under water again. Things are growing but many things are looking rather sad. I have raised beds and lots of pots and have also tried to build up other areas but unfortunatelythere is a high water table on our plot. In the wettest area we have made a wildlife pond. Of course, when we have prolonged dry spells these areas are like clay bricks and although a good mulch always applied each year the ground can crack. I would appreciate any suggestions as to what might happily grow in these areas as I have lost lots of plants over hard cold wet winters and am looking to try and work with the ground we have rather than fight again it.
Posts
I can't offer you any help but would a sympathetic hug do?
My garden is the same, we have an underground stream so I'm told by neighbours which means any prolonged rain means getting the wellies out. Plants that can cope with this include arum lily, hosta, astilbe, geum rivale, actea simplex and dogwood. I have all these growing in my own garden. You can use annual bedding like cosmos for gaps as they won't have to survive winter and you can change your mind each year. I do lots of annuals and perennials from seed so if I lose them I haven't wasted lots of money. Lost a load of echinacea ''white swan'' this winter so I'm raising plants again which I will plant somewhere where I've raised the soil level. I've raised the level of one bed in full sun which has delphiniums, oriental poppies and gladioli in (I lift my gladioli in winter and repot in the green house in spring). Keep adding the mulch like you are doing and keep off the soil when it's wet to avoid compaction. I hope this helps!
Hello Marilyn,
How big an area are we talking about? Is it sheltered because some plants that love boggy ground, hate cold winds?
Some of my favourite plants for your conditions are:Gunnera, Rheum, Ligularia, Rodgersia, Variegated Russian Comfrey, Umbrella Plant, Globe Flower, Filipendula, Iris sibirica, Lysimachia etc.
My garden is free draining/light but I still manage to grow Ligularia and Rodgersia in semi shade by profuse watering in dry spells.