damp patch

 Hello,
We've recently moved to a brand new house - which means, of course, that
there's nothing in the garden. It's level, but that's about it. The house is
built on old school playing fields and so the soil appears to be OK.
All is well except for one corner, in the part of the garden I have ear
marked for vegetables. It is extremely poorly drained and normally has some
standing water if it's rained in the last few days. I've put some raspberry
canes in that general area but have avoided the waterlogged area. What
plants really like very wet soil? I think that I could plant a willow tree,
but that's not ideal. Watercress would probably grow there but I have a
limited capacity for that! I'd love to accept the site as it is and dig a
pond there, but we have a toddler so that's something best avoided. Any
thoughts?
cheers
dan

 

In a couple of years that toddler will be a small child that will likely
(with the right encouragement) take great interest in the wildlife in and
around a pond (the local kids are often asking to see my pond, feed the
fish, or bringing frogs round etc) . I suggest you wait for that, the time
will fly by.

--
Tumbleweed

email replies not necessary but to contact use;
tumbleweednews at hotmail dot com

 

Thanks for that - I used to work for the National Rivers Authority (as was)
and could identify a caddis fly larva at a hundred paces so I'm looking
forward to when she's old enough to go grubbing around under rocks and in
streams and the like... that is a few years on from now though and I don't
want a permanently wet patch in the garden until then. But a pond would be a
definite plus point... cats would eat the frogs though!
cheers
dan

 

raspberry

 A bog garden perhaps? Will attract all sorts of wildlife. Do you know if
the patch dries out in summertime though?

 
Wait till the summer - it may be just a winter problem, in which case
you can grow veg on it in the summer and just ignore it in the winter.
 
Rhubarb seems fairly tolerant of a damp situation, though not too sure
about whether it likes standing water.

Or you could build a raised bed on it and grow shallow rooted things -
ie most veg.


Look at the bog garden section of your local nursery. Marsh marigolds,
Geum rivale, ragged robin are some of the things I have in a similar
situation. If it doesn't dry out in the summer, a bog garden can be very
attractive - quite a few urglers would be pleased to have the chance.
--
Kay
       "Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"