Suggestions for planting in a sunny, boggy site.
Daughter's new, to her, garden is South facing but very soggy, even in a dry year according to neighbours.There is a clay sub soil apparently & it's slightly acidic.
We assume land drains exist, but the building of more property behind the gardens some yrs ago has made the wet conditions worse.
Since I garden on dry, East facing, part-shade conditions I'm at a loss to know where to start. There are large areas of 'moor grass'/mollina. She doesnt want a pristine lawn, thank goodness.
Once we've (me, probably ) removed unwanted/dying plants & shrubs & attempted to add as much compost etc to any borders, any ideas/suggestions/tips for planting more suited to the site will be gratefully received.
So far I've short-listed Astillbes, Candelabra primulas, Cornus. J.
Posts
Ornamental rhubarb - rheum, persicarias, hemerocallis, hydrangea paniculata, some hostas, miscanthus zebrinus, iris sibirica, snakeshead fritillaries, salix hakuro nishiki for pretty foliage or Salix Alba Britzensis (Coral Bark Willow) and Salix Daphnoides Aglaia (Violet Willow) for their colourful winter stems.
I have a Gunnera (grown in a pot so as not to get out of control) if you have a big enough garden willow as it will drink up that soggy ground (I had one and it did just that but alas i had to small a garden).
Jo - I have similar conditions and I find that Geums do very well. Most other things I grow have already been mentioned.
Ooh, thxs folks. I'm drooling already. Have noted all your suggestions.
She may like a frittillary 'meadow' after seeing those in Oxford. The geums- yes Caz, they look so much better on a flood plain we know in Austria than in my patch.
It's early days yet. I doubt that the advice of leave a 'new' garden for 12mths will happen, but we'll try. J.