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Flood Plants?

connie77connie77 Posts: 151
in Talkback
Hi All, I need Advice please on what to plant in our new garden, we are trying to create on the canal our group has recently adopted, we lost everything in the floods & want to put in a bird/bed friendly garden , what shrubs would you suggest? As we only saved one pyracantha !
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  • connie77connie77 Posts: 151
    It is on the canal bank, slooping towards a water ski lake, it is usually quite free draining, as we had raised beds there which we intend to put back, I think ground is mainly clay soil but, we have dug it & added compost
  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618

    Hi, connie. Where are you?

    Did the raised beds survive or are you starting from scratch again?

     

  • Flowerlover3Flowerlover3 Posts: 219

    If you don't put the raised beds back would the soil be permanently damp? I ask because it will be tricky to find plants that can go from free draining to soaking wet.If it is moist all through summer you could plant things that like those conditions such as bog plants and they would cope better with flooding when it happens. Plants like purple loosestrife, Lobelia Queen Victoria, Candelabra Primulas and some species of Iris may cope if they don't dry out in summer.

  • connie77connie77 Posts: 151
    Hi, no we lost the beds but. Luckily we have been offered more pallets to rebuild but, having to wait for water ski lake to re erect their metal fence, it was ripped out even though it was cemented in 3ft!! We are in Brighouse, west Yorkshire
  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618

    Are they deep beds? Does it flood normally or is this a once in 20 year flood?

    If the beds are likely to get carried away regularly, I would only do shallow beds, so the roots can get  well down into the subsoil and might survive.

    For bird friendly, cotoneasters, rowan trees, even an apple tree or two. Blackbirds love windfalls.  Buddlejas are easy to propagate and will attract butterflies.

  • connie77connie77 Posts: 151
    Hi, yes I love Buddlelejas ,not sure CRT would agree but, wildlife love them, our beds were 2ft deep x 6ft long , I thought cotoneasters might be a good idea? We only started group last Feb, so not sure about regular flooding? But CRT engineer said this is worst he has ever seen in 30yrs on this section
  • connie77connie77 Posts: 151
    OK, thanks for your help on this everyone, got some good ideas on what to plant now, when we get sorted? Connie image *
  • connie77connie77 Posts: 151
    If I can get on a PC? I will put some pics on here soon, I do have some on my Google+ page, Brighouse CRT group also on Facebook,
  • connie77connie77 Posts: 151
    https://www.facebook.com/vac.calderdale/ this site will tell you what is going on to repair flood damage in Calderdale, west yorkshire
  • connie77connie77 Posts: 151

    image

     10ft drop now wall gone, calder & Hebble navigation, Towards Ganny Lock

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