In article , Newt
wrote:
Travis Wrote:
Piscanthropus Profundus wrote:-
I've purchased a bit of property that I'm looking to build a new home
on in a few years. It's fairly heavy clay and quite wet in the spring
and autumn. I'm looking for plants that both tolerate wet feet and will
also absorb a fair amount of water. I'm in zone
5 - Niagara.-
Well, Duh, people, you keep overlooking the Japanese Iris! Just about
perfect for boggy areas. Look it up: Iris ensata.
Hemmaholic
I would consider intentionally planting taprooted weeds for a few
years. And I mean in great quantity (it may take a bit of seed
collecting, but all of them are very prolific), ten per square foot or
so. Mow them once a year in the fall to prevent woody growth. Each
taproot will become a drainage channel once the plant dies, and for a
mature plant the root will go down four to six feet.
At the same time the organic content of the soil is improved to great
depth.
Dock, burdock, chicory and dandelion are the best. Only dock really
prefers wet soil but, being weeds, they are very adaptable. Other
taprooted plants become too woody to revert easily to a lawn.
Incidentally, I have done it and it works. Right now you can find
burdock burrs in weedlots, dock seeds (available in july) disappear
fast because they are a major winter staple for a variety of critters.
Chicory seeds become available around august. If the neighbors
complain
you will be limited to chicory and dandelion,which are less
conspicuously weeds, and which is what I used.
simy1
With no disrespect to the other posters, what I see being suggested are
some invasive plants that many would consider weeds.
Weeds & invasive weeds would be two different topics. Native plants
include many that are "weeds." The ease with which housing developers
eradicate all native plants to replace with the same-old half-dozen garden
shrubs presupposes that ALL native plants are just weeds.
While I don't necessarily second simy1's idea that a weed patch would be
best, I don't think it's an awful idea, & I can certainly see making it
work. At SinLur Stoneworks Garden I'm removing an extensive area of salal
which chokes out everything else (though pretty stuff & kept in some
areas), while being careful not to disrupt the other native shrubs in this
previously ungardened area, which is dominated by huckleberries & coastal
rhododendrons. I'm adding to the area exclusively stuff that can be found
wild on Puget Sound &/or the Olympic Penninsula, no cultivars, no plants
from other parts of the world in this particular garden.
The line dividing wildflower & weed scarsely exists. Most would agree the
trilliums & western corydalis are wildflowers, not weeds; there'd be
divided opinions about the rapidly-spreading western bleedingheart being a
weed or not. Western burdock most would dismiss as a weed, but to me it is
a beautiful native plant; it does not spread rampantly even here in its
native range. It is rarely gardened because of the idea that it is "a
weed" (or because there ARE invasive burdocks & our restrained native gets
blamed for an invasive species behavior). I was very pleased to see a
display garden at Clearcreek Nursery that uses the western burdock very
artfully, but it's hardly ever done.
-paghat the ratgirl
I would rather
know what you want to accomplish with the suggested plant material. Do
you want plants that will thrive under the current growing conditions
until you build and then remove them, do you want plants that will
enrich the soil until you build or do you just want a list for planting
after you build?
I think it's important to address the wet conditions, especially if you
are going to build. Take a look at this site for some helpful info on
drainage.
http://tinyurl.com/6gyux
If you want to cover the soil with plants that can be turned or mowed
for organic matter to improve the soil, consider planting natives.
They will be less trouble for you now and later when you might want to
change things. The best way to improve the soil would be to add
organic matter. You don't say how large the property is, but a
covering of leaves, shredded newspaper, lawn clippings, etc would be
helpful.
I suppose more information would be helpful. If you just want a list
of plants for your garden after you build, that would be easy to do.
We would need the sun conditions as well.
Newt
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