Tim wrote:
Hi all
Looking for inspiration for a stretch of garden that is currently a
disgrace to the horticultural world. Soil is heavy red clay, shaded
by neighbours leylandii (to the south!). At present its home to a
struggling Lilac tree, a couple of Hosters and not much else. I'd
guess it measures maybe 15 feet long by 6 feet wide. I was wondering
about creating some kind of wetland/bog garden with polythene and top
soil, and planting into that?
Anyone have any suggestions as to what might flourish in such a
setting, any pitfalls to beware of etc?
Many thanks
Tim

I had a very similar area - 15 feet wide 45 feet long 45ft tall leylandii on
the southern boundary - when I first moved i begged plants from friends and
just piled all sorts of thing in there just to see waht might grow. Light
sany loam btw.

As luck would have it, it was the wettest summer for many a year. We din't
like it much but the astilbes were 1m*1m astonishingly vigourous plants. the
next year was a normal summer and they were frazzled apologies for plants.

I suppose the lesson from that is that if you can give the area eenough
constant water during the summer you stand a reasonable chance - but bear in
mind you would need 12/18" soil depth on top of the polythene (limited life)
or butyl (long life but expensive)

You would need a leaky pipe sort of watering system.

The problem of course is that you would be inciting the Lelandii roots to a
permenant water source.... do you really want to do that?

pk