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That Difficult Garden Space
by Ruby Weinberg
When the nursery catalogue listings read “Requires well drained soil," many gardeners cringe - especially those with difficult garden spaces. There may be an area on your Northeastern property where now grow only an unattractive assortment of weeds. Whatever the cause, but especially if the drainage is poor, you cannot decide what to do with this space.
Other than wearing dark glasses when looking at the area or putting it into gravel or constructing raised beds, how else can you treat that space? The answer is: plant it with ornamentals that will thrive or out-compete the existing weeds.
Many of the most glorious trees, shrubs, and perennials demand better conditions for good growth. When we observe lush garden beds with a variety of exquisite ornamentals, it may seem as though a kind of alchemy has been at work.
Just as ancient people tried to change lead into gold, many an experienced gardener works long and hard to improve his soils - with more success than the alchemists! If the property was originally poorly drained with a high water table and standing water after rainy days, he may have used underground tiles to correct the drainage and probably amended his soil over a period of years with the addition of chopped leaves, manure, compost, or perhaps, peat moss. These are the ingredients needed to improve soil texture to grow the widest variety of superior plants.
However, there may be a few places on your property that are hard to reach or distant from your house or on a slope that is uncomfortable to work, making soil improvement impractical.
Faced with this situation, I ignored the “well drained," admonition when my husband and I planted a deciduous tree in the low far corner of our meadow garden. It fronts a six-specimen arborvitae hedge (Thuja occidentalis 'Techny,' and this conifer hedge did well. The Japanese pagoda tree (Sophora japonica) we planted died of excessive water at the roots within a few years. Not to be discouraged, we then planted an American yellowwood (Cladrastis kentukea, a tree from the southern Appalachian forests) in its place. Sadly, after sporting one flowering stem, it, too, bit the dust. How well its demise reminded us that you can't fool Mother Nature!
Eventually, we planted the area with a Peking willow. This Chinese species, which I received a few years ago as a sapling from Willowwood Arboretum, is now thriving, its upright shape perfect for our planting space.
As I discovered, very few introduced flowering trees do well in heavy soils or a high water table. One choice is Sweetbay magnolia, which occurs from Florida to Massachusetts and may only become 25 feet tall in northern regions.
Growing under similar conditions, perhaps even wetter because it can take the ever-emerging springs of our field, is the native sweetgum. Our neighbor across the field lined his driveway with maybe 15 of these trees. In autumn, the foliage of each is a potpourri of colors--reds, oranges, yellows, and golds--creating for us a sensational backdrop. Grow its seedless form, L.s. 'Rotundiloba,' if you don't want sticky seed pods to litter the soil beneath the tree.
When it comes to shrubs, many species are attractive candidates for the poorly drained garden. One of my favorites is the dappled Japanese willow, Salix integra 'Hakuro nishiki.' Its huge presence and variegated leaves of pink, white, and green, are a dramatic sight. A slightly improved sport is 'Flamingo.'
Native shrubs for poorly drained sites are many, but I am particularly fond of summersweet, or sweet pepper bush. Blooms are white but one of its new cultivars, 'Ruby Spice,' carries reddish-pink flowers.
Another unfussy native is red Osier dogwood. Plant it where it can be seen in the winter because of its brilliant red and yellow stems. Another is buttonbush, with charming round clusters of green flowers that turn to white and look like spiny sea urchins. Some viburnums will endure waterlogged soils.
No serious gardener tries to plant invasive flowering perennials in his garden. Yet, some might be called “aggressive," rather than “invasive." Plant them where they can be maintained in a specific area and watered during a serious drought.
The loosestrifes (genus Lysimachia) are perfect for unimproved soil conditions, and I have grown several species. Lysimachia ciliata has yellow flowers and attractive reddish-purple foliage in the form called 'Atropurpurea' contrasting nicely with other plants. L. clethroides, the goose neck loosestrife, has white spikes of flowers that all turn in one direction. L. punctata, the spotted loosestrife, is a little shorter than the others and very attractive.
Lobelia cardinalis, L. siphilitica, Iris ensata, and Stachys monieri are just a few other non-fussy perennials. With careful selection, one can grow some to bloom in every season. Then, in a short time, you'll be able to look at this difficult site without dark glasses!
Plants for Poorly Drained Soils
Trees:
~ Salix matsudana, Peking willow; catkins in early spring, 30-50 feet
~ Magnolia virginiana, sweetbay; white blooms in summer, 25 feet tall in the north
~ Liquidambar styraciflua, sweetgum; gorgeous autumn color, to 125 feet
Shrubs
~ Clethra alnifolia, summersweet, sweet pepper bush; white blooms in mid-
summer, 5-8 feet
~ Cornus sericea, red osier dogwood; colorful winter stems, 7-9 feet
~ Cephalanthus occidentalis, buttonbush; cream white flowers in mid-summer
Perennials
~ Lysimachia ciliata, L.clethroides, and L. punctata, loosestrife;
yellow blooms early to mid-summer
~ Lobelia cardinalis, cardinal flower (red); L. siphilitica, big blue
lobelia; late summer; attract hummingbirds
~ Stachys monieri, betony; 1.5-feet tall with pink blooms in early summer
A Few Sources
~ Well-sweep Herb Farm wide variety of perennials
~ Condursos Garden Center [url=http://www.condursos.com] ask for listing in wholesale
catalogue for plants tolerant of heavy clay soils[/url]
~ Sprainbrook Nursery [url=http://www.sprainbrook.com]enormous variety [url]
Native Plants
Recommended reading: Native Plants for North American Gardens by Alan Armitage
Photos Courtesy of Martin Weinberg unless otherwise noted
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published July 10, 2006
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