OK so I picked up a copy of "Garden ideas and outdoor living". In there, theres a section about using plants and flowers in a poor draining area of the yard. Well, being as my whole yard is poor draining, I was thinking maybe I could plant a huge water garden. Heres the plants they suggest using in standing water... -Bristly Sage -Canada anemone -Ohio spiderwort -Wild sweet William -Switchgrass -Wild blue indigo -Great spike rush -Weeping willow -Cardinal flower -Path rush - American slouthgrass -New England aster -Prairie blazing star -Marsh St Johns wort -Prairie smoke -Corkscrew rush -Yellow flag -callalilies -Marsh fern -Obedient plant -Red osier dogwood -Northern sea oats -Bengal tiger canna -Scarlet rose mallow Anyone had any experience with any of these? And in the article it states these plants can grow in the clay that we have here. In fact, it states that clay is the perfect medium for these plants. Anyone? Just wanted to know before I go spend all that money on new plants to make me yard pretty.
Only the corkscrew rush, weeping willow and yellow flag iris Denee and all do very well in shallow water. Quite an impressive plant list you have there!! I always buy my plants in groups of 3,5,7 etc, unless they're trees or specimen plants, as odd numbers of plants give a more pleasing effect to any garden. I'd enjoy seeing a picture of your yard once it's all planted up!! Good luck with choosing your plants and I hope they all grow well for you.
I like weeping willows. There is a weeping birch, too. Cardinal flowers are pretty. Is the one listed a vine? I have a cardinal vine on the back fence in the summer after it rains. It's red and the hummingbirds like it. Dooley
Well, Im at a lost as what to do. This is all new to me so Im just experimenting. When it doesnt rain, its quite dry out but when it does, the rain doesnt drain well. It can take up to aweek for all the water to soak into the ground. Im planting my flowers and plants straight into the ground , using good soil in the hole and then covering it. Right on top Im using the clay from the hole to cover the soil. It seems to hold the moisture in the ground. I want to see if it will work like mulch. The truck has been banished to the end of the drive. Theres two 6 inch deep ruts in the drive way from where it rains and the truck tires sink in the clay. Im planning (thats the word here ....planning!) on evening that area out and planting water plants there. It will give that area some color and life. But as for all my "reg" plants, Im just planting them and hoping for the best! I think its just going to be a matter of trial and error on my part in planting a garden that will survive and thrive in this clay.
Denee, you need limestone for your driveway. It is expensive, but well worth it. Our drive use to do the same thing, even after a load of river rocks. They just dissappeared into the clay. It was horrible, big ruts and holes in the drive, it would push out to the side, pretty bad. We got limestone about a year and a half ago, no problem since. I know cardinal flower will grow in clay and wet areas, we had some come up wild. I dug it out before we had our place disced up but the puppy from hell ate it out of the pot. Die puppy, die puppy, no such luck. Sensitive plant will grow in clay, I have some volunteers from some I started from seed last year. I had them in a container and now they are coming up in clay and gravel we had hauled in for our trailer pad. Balsam will also grow in clay, is easy to start from seed and will reseed easily also. Varigated vinca vine will also grow in clay and is a good ground cover, but it spread rapidly, you do not want it in a flower bed bc it will take over. I have it on the side of my trailer where I have some containers. The only other advice I can give you is to ammend your soil. If you have access to oak leaves they are great for a soil additive, and course builders sand will also cut the clay soil. Whenever you are digging anywhere and find earthworms put them in your flower beds. They aerate the soil and eat the organic matter from the leaves and such and produce worm casting which is very beneficial to your soil. If you have worms in your beds then you are doing something right. I am gonna but a couple of container of them this spring to add to the ones I already have. I hope some of this helps, I know what you are dealing with bc I have clay soil and it is a pain in the rear to deal with.
LOL Your right!! Its a pain! But so far so good tho! Ive got alot of plants in the ground. I will be digging the up for the move in 2 weeks but I wanted them out of the ground for winter anyways. This past Jan and Feb it didnt stop raining and the water would just stand on the ground. It would freeze and it killed my Bird of Paradise. So everything will be in pots for the winter. Thanks for all the info!
