Can anyone help me please, I have one area of my garden which is clay soil and very moist\wet, which is in full shade. Can anyone recommend a type of plant or other which would be suitable for these kind of conditions.
i,am new to gardening, but have had no other problems except for this???
thank you
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rainbowgardener
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 25303
- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 11:04 pm
- Location: TN/GA 7b
plants for wet shade
Don't know what your climate is like. Possibilities for wet shade in my area include astilbe, goats beard, lobelias (cardinal flower / great blue), lamium (a ground cover) , solomon's seal, ferns. I'm sure the moderators will tell you find a good nursery in your area and talk to them about what grows locally in that kind of situation.
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moosetracker
- Full Member
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- Joined: Sun Apr 19, 2009 1:22 pm
- Location: southern New Hampshire
I would definate add something to the soil. Maybe a humas & manure. I have clay and the nursery suggested that. You don't have to pull all the dirt out and change it, just dig a bigger hole then normal, and mix the soil you pull out with the additive, before putting back in.
Hosta and ferns are shade plants and and are hard to kill. and you can get normal hosta or huge hosta plants. Some ferns are even recommended for the wet areas. They will even grow in the clay, but they are impossible to dig up and divide when you need to if you plant it in the clay.
Hosta and ferns are shade plants and and are hard to kill. and you can get normal hosta or huge hosta plants. Some ferns are even recommended for the wet areas. They will even grow in the clay, but they are impossible to dig up and divide when you need to if you plant it in the clay.
I just got an interesting tip at the native plant sale for Pinelands Preservation Alliance (NJ pine barrens - sandy wetlands and bogs). I said I have clay soil and thought I was limited in what I could plant.
Make a raised bed 8~12" high with solid wood. (Wetland plants like acid soil so cinder blocks is not a good idea) Fill it with SAND. Now most bog plants that prefer nutrient deficient soil will reach down through the sand into the clay for the moisture and be quite happy. Mulch with shredded pine bark to conserve moisture and maintain low pH.
A quick google search for "plants for a shady bog garden" produced many hits. Why don't you check out the ones that lists your local native plants.
Make a raised bed 8~12" high with solid wood. (Wetland plants like acid soil so cinder blocks is not a good idea) Fill it with SAND. Now most bog plants that prefer nutrient deficient soil will reach down through the sand into the clay for the moisture and be quite happy. Mulch with shredded pine bark to conserve moisture and maintain low pH.
A quick google search for "plants for a shady bog garden" produced many hits. Why don't you check out the ones that lists your local native plants.