The Damp Garden
| Published: 10th July 2007 20:02 |
I knew it! I wrote an article on dry conditions and plants which thrive in and adapt to dry conditions and - lo and behold! - it seems only hours after this had been published, the rains came and have hardly abated since.
Perhaps this article on ‘The Damp Garden' will induce a period of drought and - dare I say it? - a hosepipe ban! In seriousness, however, those badly affected by the flood conditions have our best wishes for a speedy return to something resembling normal conditions.
What do we recognise as the damp garden?
Generally, it is an area of the garden which does not drain freely or is on the margins of water. I hope to produce a future article on water gardens for a wider range of information but as can be seen from the list below, which is not comprehensive but gives a ‘flavour', certain plants can survive or thrive in these conditions:
Large trees: 50ft. or more in height (not recommended for the smaller garden!)
Quercus nigra - the water oak
Salix species - willow
Taxodium distichum - bald cypress
Catalpa species - Indian bean tree
Metasequoia glyptostroboides - dawn redwood
Medium trees: 30-50ft. at maturity
Betula nigra - birch
Quercus laurifolia - laurel oak
Gleditsia triacosta - honey locust
Magnolia macrophylla - bigleaf Magnolia
Small deciduous trees: under 30ft. at maturity
Amelanchier arborea - Juneberry
Cornus alternifolia - Pagoda dogwood
Hamamelis virginiana - witch hazel
Shrubs:
Osmanthus americanus - Devilwood
Chimonanthus praecox - wintersweet
Forsythia
Spiraea x vanhouttei - bridal wreath spiraea
Groundcover :
Ajuga reptans - carpet bugle
Vinca, major and minor - periwinkle
Convallaria majalis - lily of the valley
Climbers:
Campsis radicans - trumpet vine
Hydrangea petiolaris - climbing hydrangea
Lonicera - honeysuckle
Wisteria
Ferns:
Athyrium - lady fern
Thelypteris palustris - marsh fern
Ornamental grasses:
Arundo donax - giant reed
Carex - sedge
Perennials and bulbs:
Canna lily
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