How to safely plant a soakaway?
 

Hi everyone,

I would be glad if people could advise me how to safely plant a soakaway
area. I have an area of lawn that has a soakaway (from our septic tank)
passing beneath it. Hence, the grass grows extremely richly and has to
be constantly mown . . . which is a bore, and a bit difficult as the
area is on something of an incline.

I understand that if I planted this area with shrubs and bushes that are
fibrous and deep-rooted, then they could obstruct the soakaway process.
Highly fibrous roots would head for the soakaway pipes and conduits and,
over time, block them. (I discovered with horror at another property
many years ago that ivy roots had penetrated 18 inches up rainwater
pipes that discharged into the earth, so that the pipes were completely
blocked!)

Ornamental grasses are one solution, but the area would look better
"bushed". The look I'ld like to achieve would be similar to a dense 30
feet by 40 feet area of rhododendrons. (Whether the roots of
rhododendrons would be OK, I don't know!) But evergreen bushes of say 5
to 6 feet high would look best.

Any suitable suggestions?

Thanks.

Eddy.

How to safely plant a soakaway?
 

"Eddy" wrote in message
...
Hi everyone,

I would be glad if people could advise me how to safely plant a soakaway
area. I have an area of lawn that has a soakaway (from our septic tank)
passing beneath it. Hence, the grass grows extremely richly and has to
be constantly mown . . . which is a bore, and a bit difficult as the
area is on something of an incline.

I understand that if I planted this area with shrubs and bushes that are
fibrous and deep-rooted, then they could obstruct the soakaway process.
Highly fibrous roots would head for the soakaway pipes and conduits and,
over time, block them. (I discovered with horror at another property
many years ago that ivy roots had penetrated 18 inches up rainwater
pipes that discharged into the earth, so that the pipes were completely
blocked!)

Ornamental grasses are one solution, but the area would look better
"bushed". The look I'ld like to achieve would be similar to a dense 30
feet by 40 feet area of rhododendrons. (Whether the roots of
rhododendrons would be OK, I don't know!) But evergreen bushes of say 5
to 6 feet high would look best.

Any suitable suggestions?

Plant rhubarb.

:-))

Steve

How to safely plant a soakaway?
 

On Tue, 08 Jan 2008 14:37:25 GMT, Eddy
wrote:

Hi everyone,

I would be glad if people could advise me how to safely plant a soakaway
area. I have an area of lawn that has a soakaway (from our septic tank)
passing beneath it. Hence, the grass grows extremely richly and has to
be constantly mown . . . which is a bore, and a bit difficult as the
area is on something of an incline.

I understand that if I planted this area with shrubs and bushes that are
fibrous and deep-rooted, then they could obstruct the soakaway process.
Highly fibrous roots would head for the soakaway pipes and conduits and,
over time, block them. (I discovered with horror at another property
many years ago that ivy roots had penetrated 18 inches up rainwater
pipes that discharged into the earth, so that the pipes were completely
blocked!)

Ornamental grasses are one solution, but the area would look better
"bushed". The look I'ld like to achieve would be similar to a dense 30
feet by 40 feet area of rhododendrons. (Whether the roots of
rhododendrons would be OK, I don't know!) But evergreen bushes of say 5
to 6 feet high would look best.

Any suitable suggestions?

Thanks.

Eddy.

I would plant it with something tasty that would grow well on this
richly fertilised plot. How about some delicious rhubarb?

How to safely plant a soakaway?
 

Thanks, Fuschia & Shazzbat. Rhubarb! Hee, hee, hee. I would never
have imagined it. A surfeit of rhubarb to give me endless bellyache! I
had ulcers some years ago and rhubarb, which is very acidic, is one of
the things I have to avoid! Mind you, if rhubarb was resilient and
evergreen, i.e. it looked good all through the year, it would fit the
bill!

Eddy.

How to safely plant a soakaway?
 

On 9/1/08 10:26, in article ,
"Eddy" wrote:

Thanks, Fuschia & Shazzbat. Rhubarb! Hee, hee, hee. I would never
have imagined it. A surfeit of rhubarb to give me endless bellyache! I
had ulcers some years ago and rhubarb, which is very acidic, is one of
the things I have to avoid! Mind you, if rhubarb was resilient and
evergreen, i.e. it looked good all through the year, it would fit the
bill!

Eddy.


Try the giant rhubarb, the inedible one! Gunnera manicata
http://tinyurl.com/2rd8mr
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove weeds from address)
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'

How to safely plant a soakaway?
 

Sacha wrote:
Try the giant rhubarb, the inedible one! Gunnera manicata
http://tinyurl.com/2rd8mr

Some Gunnera Manicatas would look great, Sacha. But how deeply do the
roots grow? They're not evergreen, are they? They'ld be something that
the frost would turn to "cabbage", wouldn't they?

I've been mooching about in Google this morning, and until you suggested
Gunneras it seemed that ornamental grass is the only safe option. Stuff
I've been reading this morning has made me start to worry about the
roots of three large ornamental cherries on the edge of my
leach--plain/soakaway.

Eddy.

How to safely plant a soakaway?
 

On 9 Jan, 12:22, Eddy wrote:
I've been mooching about in Google this morning, and until you suggested
Gunneras it seemed that ornamental grass is the only safe option. *Stuff
I've been reading this morning has made me start to worry about the
roots of three large ornamental cherries on the edge of my
leach--plain/soakaway.

If they are within 6 metres from your soakaway you are safe - that is
the maximum planting guidance for council planting near soakaway. I'm
glad you don't take the rhodos ideas. Perhaps dwarf varieties and
azaleas could be an option, but the grasses would be so much nicer to
the eye, for the lightness they provide, elegance and the wildlife
they'd attract with their long lasting seed heads (not to mention the
low maintenance). The choices are endless, from the deschampsia,
sporobolus, corynephorus, myscanthus and the actae (imagine that one
covered of frost in winter ...) etc... to reed grass, the red one and
you could mix in echinaceas or monardas for some colour too. These
will self seeds and will replace their parents. Nice clumps will
eventually forms, like with the panicum and molinia - this could give
you the 'bulk' of planting you are after. A curvaceous bed of these in
your lawn would be lovely. HTH

How to safely plant a soakaway?
 

In article ,
says...
Sacha wrote:
Try the giant rhubarb, the inedible one! Gunnera manicata
http://tinyurl.com/2rd8mr

Some Gunnera Manicatas would look great, Sacha. But how deeply do the
roots grow? They're not evergreen, are they? They'ld be something that
the frost would turn to "cabbage", wouldn't they?

I've been mooching about in Google this morning, and until you suggested
Gunneras it seemed that ornamental grass is the only safe option. Stuff
I've been reading this morning has made me start to worry about the
roots of three large ornamental cherries on the edge of my
leach--plain/soakaway.

Eddy.



where are you? tree ferns would look rather fine!
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea

How to safely plant a soakaway?
 

How to safely plant a soakaway?
 

Charlie Pridham wrote:
where are you? tree ferns would look rather fine!

Hmm. Tree ferns would fit in well. The sloping soakaway/lawn separates
the house from the lane below, and the house is quite high above both,
so to look down on tree-ferns from all the windows of the house would be
good, and they'ld hide the lane and occasional traffic.

We're in South West Shropshire, rather similar to Wales in climate but
not quite so wet. Behind this house are a good deal of wild ferns. The
front, however, is completely south-facing, so would tree-ferns manage
in summer? Also, are you saying that tree-ferns don't have deep roots?
(Would be good if they don't.)

Eddy.

How to safely plant a soakaway?
 

On 9/1/08 12:22, in article ,
"Eddy" wrote:

Sacha wrote:
Try the giant rhubarb, the inedible one! Gunnera manicata
http://tinyurl.com/2rd8mr

Some Gunnera Manicatas would look great, Sacha. But how deeply do the
roots grow? They're not evergreen, are they? They'ld be something that
the frost would turn to "cabbage", wouldn't they?

I've been mooching about in Google this morning, and until you suggested
Gunneras it seemed that ornamental grass is the only safe option. Stuff
I've been reading this morning has made me start to worry about the
roots of three large ornamental cherries on the edge of my
leach--plain/soakaway.

Eddy.


Very unlikely, we think. My stepson had to dig out a Gunnera this year
because a drain had become blocked and then having removed the Gunnera, he
discovered that the true culprit was a tree that was many yards away. The
Gunnera was quite innocent. They're very dramatic plants and real talking
points. No, they're not ever-green but in cold areas people just bend the
fading branches over the crown to give winter protection, or put straw over
them.
Charlie's idea of tree ferns is excellent, IMO. They look good in groups or
singly but are quite expensive and grow exceedingly slowly, so you would
need to get the biggest you can afford and from a reputable source. In
summer water them from the top so that the fronds are kept moist. Perhaps
you could plant the truly beautiful shuttlecock ferns there, too. Matteuccia
struthiopteris is its proper name and I look forward to seeing ours emerge
every winter. Blechnum spicant is another fern and I think that's
evergreen.
I don't dislike grasses but personally, I think they're a bit 'overdone'
these days and are just beginning to lose popularity a little. They're used
in a lot of municipal planting, so I wonder if there is too much of that
association in the public's mind, perhaps.

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove weeds from address)
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'

How to safely plant a soakaway?
 

On 9 Jan, 13:33, Sacha wrote:
I don't dislike grasses but personally, I think they're a bit 'overdone'
these days and are just beginning to lose popularity a little. *They're used
in a lot of municipal planting, so I wonder if there is too much of that
association in the public's mind, perhaps.

The popularity is for its biodiversity, wildlife friendly and
ecologically sound (cleaning) benefits. If these plants are
commercially viable, then I'm for one very glad people make money out
of them for precisely the benefits they bring as opposed for a
'fashionable' reason. The 'municipal planting' effect as a long way to
go before achieving the aesthetics one dream off like those of Piet
Oudolf, for a start there's quite a job in getting rid of the
thousands of dusty aucubas, rhodos and privets and the millions of
petunias one usually find in our municipalities. Sadly.

How to safely plant a soakaway?
 

In article ,
says...
Charlie Pridham wrote:
where are you? tree ferns would look rather fine!

Hmm. Tree ferns would fit in well. The sloping soakaway/lawn separates
the house from the lane below, and the house is quite high above both,
so to look down on tree-ferns from all the windows of the house would be
good, and they'ld hide the lane and occasional traffic.

We're in South West Shropshire, rather similar to Wales in climate but
not quite so wet. Behind this house are a good deal of wild ferns. The
front, however, is completely south-facing, so would tree-ferns manage
in summer? Also, are you saying that tree-ferns don't have deep roots?
(Would be good if they don't.)

Eddy.


They form a mat of roots near the surface, but sadly I suspect you are
too cold for an open position planting, there may however be other
evergreen ferns large enough to suit but its not my area.
Also some bamboos would love the constant moisture, not all varieties
would suit so seek advice, mine only go down about 6 inches, they are
very much surface rooting, evergreen and the phyllostchys sorts have
wonderful stem colours (my favourite is P. vivax aureocaulis, 20' of
golden stems)
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea

How to safely plant a soakaway?
 

On Wed, 9 Jan 2008 13:21:28 +0000, Eddy wrote
(in article ):

Charlie Pridham wrote:
where are you? tree ferns would look rather fine!

Hmm. Tree ferns would fit in well. The sloping soakaway/lawn separates
the house from the lane below, and the house is quite high above both,
so to look down on tree-ferns from all the windows of the house would be
good, and they'ld hide the lane and occasional traffic.

We're in South West Shropshire, rather similar to Wales in climate but
not quite so wet. Behind this house are a good deal of wild ferns. The
front, however, is completely south-facing, so would tree-ferns manage
in summer? Also, are you saying that tree-ferns don't have deep roots?
(Would be good if they don't.)

waves from near Ludlow :-)

--
Sally in Shropshire, UK
http://www.freerice.com/index.php
Give free rice to hungry people by playing a simple word game

How to safely plant a soakaway?
 

Thanks, Sacha. Ferns do well in this area, the hedgerows harbour them,
and there are several big clumps on the border of my soakaway-lawn
already. I know they erupt from big fleshy "pods" - with delicate roots
on the underside of these. I wonder if these hair-like roots WOULD
penetrate a few feet if they sensed the moisture beneath?

I like the idea of several groups of tree-ferns, in twos and threes of
different heights, with lots of more ordinary ferns inbetween and
scattered around. This would look less "unkempt" than a wildflower
lawn - which, anyway, I believe needs to be mown and maintained if the
wildflowers are not to be overtaken by the grasses. I had a go at
wildflower garden at another property, in West Wales, a couple of years
ago, and the first year it was beautiful. Despite cutting it as advised
in autumn, the next year it was predominantly buttercupt - magnificently
buttercups for several weeks in fact, and by the third year only one or
two individual wildflower plants had managed to stand the competition
from ranunculus and grasses!

Eddy.

How to safely plant a soakaway?
 

Charlie Pridham wrote:

They form a mat of roots near the surface, but sadly I suspect you are
too cold for an open position planting,

Well, we've had a dozen frosts so far since autumn, so yes that's not
quite the natural environment of the tree-fern. Most of the tree-ferns
I have seen, in Queensland and in New Zealand, have been growing beneath
the canopy provided by tall trees in forests, so that they don't get
sunlight directly upon them.

It would be a pity to buy a couple of expensive big tree-ferns, only to
see them come a cropper in the winter. So, that suggests seeing how big
non-tree ferns can be. I guess lots of ordinary-height ferns with maybe
a clump or two of gunneras could look good. And if they all flop in
winter, oh well that's the British garden for you. Glory in spring and
summer: death in winter!

Thanks for the bamboo suggestion. The previous owner has had a go at it
on the other side of my septic tank. Trouble is he planted a variety
that loses all its leaves in winter. Anyway, a lawnful of bamboo would
be without context and rather "too much" I think for this property
surrounded by typically English fields.

Eddy.

How to safely plant a soakaway?
 

On 9/1/08 14:23, in article , "Eddy"
wrote:

Thanks, Sacha. Ferns do well in this area, the hedgerows harbour them,
and there are several big clumps on the border of my soakaway-lawn
already. I know they erupt from big fleshy "pods" - with delicate roots
on the underside of these. I wonder if these hair-like roots WOULD
penetrate a few feet if they sensed the moisture beneath?

I like the idea of several groups of tree-ferns, in twos and threes of
different heights, with lots of more ordinary ferns inbetween and
scattered around. This would look less "unkempt" than a wildflower
lawn - which, anyway, I believe needs to be mown and maintained if the
wildflowers are not to be overtaken by the grasses. I had a go at
wildflower garden at another property, in West Wales, a couple of years
ago, and the first year it was beautiful. Despite cutting it as advised
in autumn, the next year it was predominantly buttercupt - magnificently
buttercups for several weeks in fact, and by the third year only one or
two individual wildflower plants had managed to stand the competition
from ranunculus and grasses!

Eddy.


I think wildflower lawns are things of great beauty but it's not just a
question of chucking in some seeds, no. They do need a particular regime of
care, AIUI. Charlie seems to think tree ferns wouldn't like your climate
but I wonder if they'd survive if wrapped in straw for the winter. Sally
who has just waved to you from Ludlow might know, or your local nursery.
Otherwise, it might be as well to make a virtue out of necessity and see
what you can find in the way of ferns that you like. Googling around, I
found these people but this isn't a recommendation because I've never had
any dealings with them. Their range is pretty large, though and they have a
special 'Ferns for wet places' section, too and comments on how to cope with
tree ferns in the UK climate. The Equisetums sound interesting:
http://www.fernnursery.co.uk/


--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove weeds from address)
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'

How to safely plant a soakaway?
 

Sacha wrote:
I think wildflower lawns are things of great beauty but it's not just a
question of chucking in some seeds, no. They do need a particular regime of
care, AIUI. Charlie seems to think tree ferns wouldn't like your climate
but I wonder if they'd survive if wrapped in straw for the winter. Sally
who has just waved to you from Ludlow might know, or your local nursery.
Otherwise, it might be as well to make a virtue out of necessity and see
what you can find in the way of ferns that you like. Googling around, I
found these people but this isn't a recommendation because I've never had
any dealings with them. Their range is pretty large, though and they have a
special 'Ferns for wet places' section, too and comments on how to cope with
tree ferns in the UK climate. The Equisetums sound interesting:
http://www.fernnursery.co.uk/

Yes, gorgeous tree-ferns at www.fernnursery.co.uk, Sacha. I bookmarked
that site a year ago while exploring Lincolnshire where my family hails
from. They give some noteworthy advice with regard to tree-ferns on one
of their pages: in the heat of the UK summer don't go two days without
watering the whole tree, bark & crown included; and in winter wrap it
against the cold. Now, I'll tell you a secret: we left our "paradise"
in West Wales because it was "a terrible beauty", i.e. stunning gardens
that had to be maintained intensively and doing so nearly killed us!
Ain't going down that path again. I think keeping a tree-fern in our
situation would be like taking on an exotic pet. But that still leaves
the idea of a collection of reasonably big ferns. If I can just find
one or two things that will give greater height, that would be good.
Have just found a site that suggests that gunneras need "deep" soil, so
it looks like they're going to have to be rejected. On the other hand,
have just found a couple of pdf files in the USA specifically talking
about what to plant in a "leach-field" or soakaway, and they advise "any
shallow-rooted herbaceous plants that are NOT water-loving". So I'll
try googling that!

Eddy.


Eddy.

How to safely plant a soakaway?
 

On 9/1/08 15:24, in article , "Eddy"
wrote:

Sacha wrote:
I think wildflower lawns are things of great beauty but it's not just a
question of chucking in some seeds, no. They do need a particular regime of
care, AIUI. Charlie seems to think tree ferns wouldn't like your climate
but I wonder if they'd survive if wrapped in straw for the winter. Sally
who has just waved to you from Ludlow might know, or your local nursery.
Otherwise, it might be as well to make a virtue out of necessity and see
what you can find in the way of ferns that you like. Googling around, I
found these people but this isn't a recommendation because I've never had
any dealings with them. Their range is pretty large, though and they have a
special 'Ferns for wet places' section, too and comments on how to cope with
tree ferns in the UK climate. The Equisetums sound interesting:
http://www.fernnursery.co.uk/

Yes, gorgeous tree-ferns at www.fernnursery.co.uk, Sacha. I bookmarked
that site a year ago while exploring Lincolnshire where my family hails
from. They give some noteworthy advice with regard to tree-ferns on one
of their pages: in the heat of the UK summer don't go two days without
watering the whole tree, bark & crown included; and in winter wrap it
against the cold. Now, I'll tell you a secret: we left our "paradise"
in West Wales because it was "a terrible beauty", i.e. stunning gardens
that had to be maintained intensively and doing so nearly killed us!
Ain't going down that path again. I think keeping a tree-fern in our
situation would be like taking on an exotic pet.

If you're wearing the t-shirt, you certainly don't need to do that again!


But that still leaves
the idea of a collection of reasonably big ferns. If I can just find
one or two things that will give greater height, that would be good.
Have just found a site that suggests that gunneras need "deep" soil, so
it looks like they're going to have to be rejected. On the other hand,
have just found a couple of pdf files in the USA specifically talking
about what to plant in a "leach-field" or soakaway, and they advise "any
shallow-rooted herbaceous plants that are NOT water-loving". So I'll
try googling that!


Our Gunnera is planted near our soakaway in a sort of wooded bit of the
garden, known to its original owner as The Rhododendron Walk. It's a bit of
a mix of soil and shale there, so I don't think they're over-fussy. But
perhaps Charlie's idea of judiciously chosen bamboos and then some lovely
ferns would do it. Perhaps you could have a sort of stone 'folly' ruin and
plant ferns among the crevices. ;-)

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove weeds from address)
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'

How to safely plant on a soakaway?
 

Sacha wrote:
Our Gunnera is planted near our soakaway in a sort of wooded bit of the
garden, known to its original owner as The Rhododendron Walk. It's a bit of
a mix of soil and shale there, so I don't think they're over-fussy. But
perhaps Charlie's idea of judiciously chosen bamboos and then some lovely
ferns would do it. Perhaps you could have a sort of stone 'folly' ruin and
plant ferns among the crevices. ;-)

Thanks, Sacha. It's amazing what people hide when they're selling a
property, and amazing too what one fails to detect no matter how closely
you scrutinise a property before you buy it. We visited this place SIX
times before buying it, just to check it out thoroughly. Maybe we
should have smelt a bit of a rat because on each occasion we noticed our
beautifully and closely the lawn had obviously just been cut! We just
put it down to the owner being manic about his lawn. Of course it
turned out that with the "richness" flowing beneath it, it needs cutting
every seven days except in winter!

Anyway, as to how to turn it into a trouble-free zone, I'm grateful for
everybodys' help. As a result I have stumbled upon the following very
helpful page - tailored just for this situation. Just a case of
googling each species now and looking for the right combination, and,
for me, some which are reasonably tall!

from:
http://www.clallam.net/EnvHealth/ass...s.pdf#cooliris

Drainfield Landscaping Suggestions

SHALLOW ROOTED PLANTS

Following are just some examples of plants with shallow roots,
ideal for creating either a solid mix or a lovely variety that will be
pleasing to the eye.

Herbaceous annuals:
Ageratum (Ageratum housetonianum)
Wax Begonia (Begonia semperflorens)
Coleus (Coleus species)
Lobella (Lobella ertinus)
Sween Alysum (Lobularia maritima)
Geranium (Pelargonium x hortorum)
Penunia (Petunia x hybrida)
Salvia (Salvia species)
Marigold (Tagetes patula)
Zinnia (Zinnia alegans)
Herbaceous perennials:
Amaria, Seathrift (Amariac maritima)
Astlibe (Astlime x arendsu)
Basket of Gold (Aurinia saxatius) – can also be used as a ground cover
Campanuia (Campanuis species)
Snow in Summer (Cerastium tomentosum)
Lily of the Valley (Convailaris majalis)
Sweet William (Dianthus barbatus)
Cottage (and other) Pinks (Dianthus species)
Coral Bell (Haucheria sanguinia)
Candytuft (Iberis sempervirens)
Lavender (Lavenduia angustifolia) – evergreen
Moss Pink (Phoix subutata)
Ground covers (all perennial)
Carpet Bugie (Ajuga raptans)
Kennickinnick (Arctostaphylos uvi-ursa)
Irish Moss (Arenaria verns)
Bunchberry (Comus canadansis)
Blue Fescue (Fastuca ovina glauca)
Wintergreen (Gauitheria procumbens)
Salal (Gaultheria shallon)
Lydia Broom (Genista lydia)
Pachysandra (Pachysandra terminalis) – shaded areas only
Sword Fern (Polystichum munitum)
Stone Crop (Sedum species)
Hens and Chicks (Sempervirum tectorum)
Periwinkle (Vinca Minor)
Thyme (Thymus species)

Thanks,
Eddy.

How to safely plant on a soakaway?
 

Sacha wrote:
Our Gunnera is planted near our soakaway in a sort of wooded bit of the
garden, known to its original owner as The Rhododendron Walk. It's a bit of
a mix of soil and shale there, so I don't think they're over-fussy. But
perhaps Charlie's idea of judiciously chosen bamboos and then some lovely
ferns would do it. Perhaps you could have a sort of stone 'folly' ruin and
plant ferns among the crevices. ;-)

Thanks, Sacha. It's amazing what people hide when they're selling a
property, and amazing too what one fails to detect no matter how closely
you scrutinise a property before you buy it. We visited this place SIX
times before buying it, just to check it out thoroughly. Maybe we
should have smelt a bit of a rat because on each occasion we noticed our
beautifully and closely the lawn had obviously just been cut! We just
put it down to the owner being manic about his lawn. Of course it
turned out that with the "richness" flowing beneath it, it needs cutting
every seven days except in winter!

Anyway, as to how to turn it into a trouble-free zone, I'm grateful for
everybodys' help. As a result I have stumbled upon the following very
helpful page - tailored just for this situation. Just a case of
googling each species now and looking for the right combination, and,
for me, some which are reasonably tall!

from:
http://www.clallam.net/EnvHealth/ass...s.pdf#cooliris

Drainfield Landscaping Suggestions

SHALLOW ROOTED PLANTS

Following are just some examples of plants with shallow roots,
ideal for creating either a solid mix or a lovely variety that will be
pleasing to the eye.

Herbaceous annuals:
Ageratum (Ageratum housetonianum)
Wax Begonia (Begonia semperflorens)
Coleus (Coleus species)
Lobella (Lobella ertinus)
Sween Alysum (Lobularia maritima)
Geranium (Pelargonium x hortorum)
Penunia (Petunia x hybrida)
Salvia (Salvia species)
Marigold (Tagetes patula)
Zinnia (Zinnia alegans)
Herbaceous perennials:
Amaria, Seathrift (Amariac maritima)
Astlibe (Astlime x arendsu)
Basket of Gold (Aurinia saxatius) – can also be used as a ground cover
Campanuia (Campanuis species)
Snow in Summer (Cerastium tomentosum)
Lily of the Valley (Convailaris majalis)
Sweet William (Dianthus barbatus)
Cottage (and other) Pinks (Dianthus species)
Coral Bell (Haucheria sanguinia)
Candytuft (Iberis sempervirens)
Lavender (Lavenduia angustifolia) – evergreen
Moss Pink (Phoix subutata)
Ground covers (all perennial)
Carpet Bugie (Ajuga raptans)
Kennickinnick (Arctostaphylos uvi-ursa)
Irish Moss (Arenaria verns)
Bunchberry (Comus canadansis)
Blue Fescue (Fastuca ovina glauca)
Wintergreen (Gauitheria procumbens)
Salal (Gaultheria shallon)
Lydia Broom (Genista lydia)
Pachysandra (Pachysandra terminalis) – shaded areas only
Sword Fern (Polystichum munitum)
Stone Crop (Sedum species)
Hens and Chicks (Sempervirum tectorum)
Periwinkle (Vinca Minor)
Thyme (Thymus species)

Thanks,
Eddy.

How to safely plant a soakaway?
 

"Eddy" wrote in message
...
Thanks, Fuschia & Shazzbat. Rhubarb! Hee, hee, hee. I would never
have imagined it. A surfeit of rhubarb to give me endless bellyache! I
had ulcers some years ago and rhubarb, which is very acidic, is one of
the things I have to avoid!

But the custard, being made almost entirely of milk, must be alkaline,
surely they cancel each other out PH-wise?

I don't think I could countenance a rhubarb-less existence.

Steve

How to safely plant a soakaway?
 

In article C3AA62C9.6214D%
, Sacha says...
On 9/1/08 10:26, in article ,
"Eddy" wrote:

Thanks, Fuschia & Shazzbat. Rhubarb! Hee, hee, hee. I would never
have imagined it. A surfeit of rhubarb to give me endless bellyache! I
had ulcers some years ago and rhubarb, which is very acidic, is one of
the things I have to avoid! Mind you, if rhubarb was resilient and
evergreen, i.e. it looked good all through the year, it would fit the
bill!

Eddy.


Try the giant rhubarb, the inedible one! Gunnera manicata
http://tinyurl.com/2rd8mr

I've got one of those! Magnificent plants. Mine dies down
after the first heavy frost and is now covered in fleece
until Spring. I bought it in a 4" pot. The first year it
didn't grow much, so last Spring I moved it to a place that
is permanently wet and it is thriving. Just a bit
disconcerting when the frosts knock it back to the ground -
there is always the fear that it may not recover.

There is a garden centre near us that has a monster sized
specimen. I think they said it was 20 something years old.
Do they still need Winter protection when they have fully
matured?
--
David in Normandy

How to safely plant a soakaway?
 

On 9/1/08 17:15, in article ,
"David in Normandy" wrote:

In article C3AA62C9.6214D%
, Sacha says...
On 9/1/08 10:26, in article ,
"Eddy" wrote:

Thanks, Fuschia & Shazzbat. Rhubarb! Hee, hee, hee. I would never
have imagined it. A surfeit of rhubarb to give me endless bellyache! I
had ulcers some years ago and rhubarb, which is very acidic, is one of
the things I have to avoid! Mind you, if rhubarb was resilient and
evergreen, i.e. it looked good all through the year, it would fit the
bill!

Eddy.


Try the giant rhubarb, the inedible one! Gunnera manicata
http://tinyurl.com/2rd8mr

I've got one of those! Magnificent plants. Mine dies down
after the first heavy frost and is now covered in fleece
until Spring. I bought it in a 4" pot. The first year it
didn't grow much, so last Spring I moved it to a place that
is permanently wet and it is thriving. Just a bit
disconcerting when the frosts knock it back to the ground -
there is always the fear that it may not recover.

There is a garden centre near us that has a monster sized
specimen. I think they said it was 20 something years old.
Do they still need Winter protection when they have fully
matured?

Ours is a good two to three feet over Ray's head and he's about 6'1". He
just puts the old leaves over the crown each year but it's probably
important to say that ours has some shelter from a wall and from tree
canopy. It dies back naturally, with or without frost. And of course, it's
in the south west. But while its spread has been a bit restricted by the
things around it, its height appears to know few bounds!

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove weeds from address)
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'

How to safely plant on a soakaway?
 

On 9/1/08 16:33, in article ,
"Eddy" wrote:

Sacha wrote:
Our Gunnera is planted near our soakaway in a sort of wooded bit of the
garden, known to its original owner as The Rhododendron Walk. It's a bit of
a mix of soil and shale there, so I don't think they're over-fussy. But
perhaps Charlie's idea of judiciously chosen bamboos and then some lovely
ferns would do it. Perhaps you could have a sort of stone 'folly' ruin and
plant ferns among the crevices. ;-)

Thanks, Sacha. It's amazing what people hide when they're selling a
property, and amazing too what one fails to detect no matter how closely
you scrutinise a property before you buy it. We visited this place SIX
times before buying it, just to check it out thoroughly. Maybe we
should have smelt a bit of a rat because on each occasion we noticed our
beautifully and closely the lawn had obviously just been cut! We just
put it down to the owner being manic about his lawn. Of course it
turned out that with the "richness" flowing beneath it, it needs cutting
every seven days except in winter!

We have friends with a similar 'problem' in Jersey but it's just down to
their garden being partly on a steep hillside and a lot of water seeping
down that to a stream at the bottom. In those conditions most lawns would
need cutting each week, I would think. Six times does indeed indicate a
thorough approach. ;-) I must admit that I usually know within 30 seconds
whether I like a house or not and then I've done another visit if I do, then
the "has it got dry rot or a collapsing roof" survey thing and then bought
it. Or not.

Anyway, as to how to turn it into a trouble-free zone, I'm grateful for
everybodys' help. As a result I have stumbled upon the following very
helpful page - tailored just for this situation. Just a case of
googling each species now and looking for the right combination, and,
for me, some which are reasonably tall!

from:
http://www.clallam.net/EnvHealth/ass...s.pdf#cooliris

snip


All I'm going to say to that very useful list is that if you get
Convallaria to grow it's quite possible that I shall never speak to you
again. I have failed with it in every garden I've ever had, wherever
situated. I'm now so paranoid about this that I have asked a member of our
staff to plant it for me and I haven't even touched it!
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove weeds from address)
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'

How to safely plant on a soakaway?
 

In article ,
says...
Sacha wrote:
Our Gunnera is planted near our soakaway in a sort of wooded bit of the
garden, known to its original owner as The Rhododendron Walk. It's a bit of
a mix of soil and shale there, so I don't think they're over-fussy. But
perhaps Charlie's idea of judiciously chosen bamboos and then some lovely
ferns would do it. Perhaps you could have a sort of stone 'folly' ruin and
plant ferns among the crevices. ;-)

Thanks, Sacha. It's amazing what people hide when they're selling a
property, and amazing too what one fails to detect no matter how closely
you scrutinise a property before you buy it. We visited this place SIX
times before buying it, just to check it out thoroughly. Maybe we
should have smelt a bit of a rat because on each occasion we noticed our
beautifully and closely the lawn had obviously just been cut! We just
put it down to the owner being manic about his lawn. Of course it
turned out that with the "richness" flowing beneath it, it needs cutting
every seven days except in winter!

Anyway, as to how to turn it into a trouble-free zone, I'm grateful for
everybodys' help. As a result I have stumbled upon the following very
helpful page - tailored just for this situation. Just a case of
googling each species now and looking for the right combination, and,
for me, some which are reasonably tall!

from:
http://www.clallam.net/EnvHealth/ass...s.pdf#cooliris

Drainfield Landscaping Suggestions

SHALLOW ROOTED PLANTS

Following are just some examples of plants with shallow roots,
ideal for creating either a solid mix or a lovely variety that will be
pleasing to the eye.

Herbaceous annuals:
Ageratum (Ageratum housetonianum)
Wax Begonia (Begonia semperflorens)
Coleus (Coleus species)
Lobella (Lobella ertinus)
Sween Alysum (Lobularia maritima)
Geranium (Pelargonium x hortorum)
Penunia (Petunia x hybrida)
Salvia (Salvia species)
Marigold (Tagetes patula)
Zinnia (Zinnia alegans)
Herbaceous perennials:
Amaria, Seathrift (Amariac maritima)
Astlibe (Astlime x arendsu)
Basket of Gold (Aurinia saxatius) ? can also be used as a ground cover
If you want to go the perennial route don't forget all the himalayan
primulas, if the like you within a season they will seed in such
prefussion as to choke out all competition
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea

How to safely plant a soakaway?
 

Sacha says...
Ours is a good two to three feet over Ray's head and he's about 6'1". He
just puts the old leaves over the crown each year but it's probably
important to say that ours has some shelter from a wall and from tree
canopy. It dies back naturally, with or without frost. And of course, it's
in the south west. But while its spread has been a bit restricted by the
things around it, its height appears to know few bounds!



They have a real wow factor when they are that size. The
first one I ever saw was in a private garden next to
Warwick castle around 20 years ago. I think it may have
been one of those Yellow-book open garden days. I remember
walking under it's canopy of huge leaves absolutely awe
struck. Since then I always wanted one. This is the first
place we've lived where the garden is big enough to handle
one (without it dominating the entire garden).

I'll continue each year with the leaf folding and fleece to
be on the safe side. I'd hate to lose it.
--
David in Normandy

How to safely plant on a soakaway?
 

In message , Eddy
writes
Sacha wrote:
Our Gunnera is planted near our soakaway in a sort of wooded bit of the
garden, known to its original owner as The Rhododendron Walk. It's a bit of
a mix of soil and shale there, so I don't think they're over-fussy. But
perhaps Charlie's idea of judiciously chosen bamboos and then some lovely
ferns would do it. Perhaps you could have a sort of stone 'folly' ruin and
plant ferns among the crevices. ;-)

Thanks, Sacha. It's amazing what people hide when they're selling a
property, and amazing too what one fails to detect no matter how closely
you scrutinise a property before you buy it. We visited this place SIX
times before buying it, just to check it out thoroughly. Maybe we
should have smelt a bit of a rat because on each occasion we noticed our
beautifully and closely the lawn had obviously just been cut! We just
put it down to the owner being manic about his lawn. Of course it
turned out that with the "richness" flowing beneath it, it needs cutting
every seven days except in winter!

Anyway, as to how to turn it into a trouble-free zone, I'm grateful for
everybodys' help. As a result I have stumbled upon the following very
helpful page - tailored just for this situation. Just a case of
googling each species now and looking for the right combination, and,
for me, some which are reasonably tall!

from:
http://www.clallam.net/EnvHealth/ass...s.pdf#cooliris

Drainfield Landscaping Suggestions

SHALLOW ROOTED PLANTS

Following are just some examples of plants with shallow roots,
ideal for creating either a solid mix or a lovely variety that will be
pleasing to the eye.
To help you find them, some (hopefully) correct spellings. (It looks as
if someone had an accident with a scanner and OCR program.)

Herbaceous annuals:
Ageratum (Ageratum housetonianum)
Wax Begonia (Begonia semperflorens)
Coleus (Coleus species)
Lobella (Lobella ertinus)
Lobelia erinus
Sween Alysum (Lobularia maritima)
Sweet Alyssum or Sweet Alison
Geranium (Pelargonium x hortorum)
Penunia (Petunia x hybrida)
Salvia (Salvia species)
Marigold (Tagetes patula)
Zinnia (Zinnia alegans)
Herbaceous perennials:
Amaria, Seathrift (Amariac maritima)
Armeria maritima
Astlibe (Astlime x arendsu)
Astilbe x arendsii
Basket of Gold (Aurinia saxatius) – can also be used as a ground cover
Aurinia saxatilis (which is usually treated as a rockery plant)
Campanuia (Campanuis species)
Bellflower (Campanula spp.)
Snow in Summer (Cerastium tomentosum)
Lily of the Valley (Convailaris majalis)
Convallaria majalis
Sweet William (Dianthus barbatus)
Cottage (and other) Pinks (Dianthus species)
Coral Bell (Haucheria sanguinia)
Heuchera sanguinea
Candytuft (Iberis sempervirens)
Lavender (Lavenduia angustifolia) – evergreen
Lavandula angustifolia
Moss Pink (Phoix subutata)
Phlox subulata
Ground covers (all perennial)
Carpet Bugie (Ajuga raptans)
Bugle (Ajuga reptans)
Kennickinnick (Arctostaphylos uvi-ursa)
Bearberry on this side of the pond (Arctostaphylos uvi-ursi); I expect
it needs an acid soil.
Irish Moss (Arenaria verns)
I don't know this one, but I'd expect it to be Arenaria vernus
Bunchberry (Comus canadansis)
Creeping Dogwood (Cornus canadensis or Chamaepericlymenum canadense)
Blue Fescue (Fastuca ovina glauca)
Wintergreen (Gauitheria procumbens)
Gaultheria procumbens; I expect it needs an acid soil.
Salal (Gaultheria shallon)
I expect it needs an acid soil.
Lydia Broom (Genista lydia)
Pachysandra (Pachysandra terminalis) – shaded areas only
Sword Fern (Polystichum munitum)
Stone Crop (Sedum species)
Hens and Chicks (Sempervirum tectorum)
Sempervivum tectorum
Periwinkle (Vinca Minor)
Thyme (Thymus species)

Thanks,
Eddy.

You presumably want stuff that is vigorous enough to compete with the
weeds that will enjoy the rich soil. (You could grow nettles to provide
food for butterfly caterpillars :-) ) A lot of this stuff doesn't strike
as meeting the bill, especially as some of them are shade plants.
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

How to safely plant a soakaway?
 

David in Normandy wrote:
I'll continue each year with the leaf folding and fleece to
be on the safe side. I'd hate to lose it.

Very interesting hear you talk about your giant, David. Have you ever
discovered or noticed how deep its roots go?

Eddy.

How to safely plant on a soakaway?
 

Stewart Robert Hinsley wrote:
To help you find them, some (hopefully) correct spellings. (It looks as
if someone had an accident with a scanner and OCR program.)

Stewart, what invaluable help! You've saved me, and perhaps others,
sitting there in front of the screen typing in the gobbledegook and
being flummoxed by the results.

I think I'll even post your corrections back to that website. They
ought to be glad of them.

I just hope that because they can't spell 'em, it doesn't mean it's not
the ideal list for a soakaway! I'll have to be careful!

Thanks.

Eddy.

How to safely plant on a soakaway?
 

Sacha wrote:
All I'm going to say to that very useful list is that if you get
Convallaria to grow it's quite possible that I shall never speak to you
again. I have failed with it in every garden I've ever had, wherever
situated. I'm now so paranoid about this that I have asked a member of our
staff to plant it for me and I haven't even touched it!

Well, Sacha, if we DO get some and it grows, I'll HAVE to let you know
how we managed it! :-)

Eddy.

How to safely plant a soakaway?
 

In article ,
Eddy says...
David in Normandy wrote:
I'll continue each year with the leaf folding and fleece to
be on the safe side. I'd hate to lose it.

Very interesting hear you talk about your giant, David. Have you ever
discovered or noticed how deep its roots go?

Eddy.



Mine hasn't reached the giant stage yet, it's only a couple
of years old. I don't know how long they take to reach
mature size or how deep the roots of mature specimens go.

It is positioned at the bottom of our soakaway next to the
drainage ditch. It's roots can go as deep and wide as they
like there without interfering with anything.
--
David in Normandy

How to safely plant a soakaway?
 

shazzbat writes

"Eddy" wrote in message
...
Thanks, Fuschia & Shazzbat. Rhubarb! Hee, hee, hee. I would never
have imagined it. A surfeit of rhubarb to give me endless bellyache! I
had ulcers some years ago and rhubarb, which is very acidic, is one of
the things I have to avoid!

But the custard, being made almost entirely of milk, must be alkaline,
surely they cancel each other out PH-wise?

Is milk alkaline?

If it goes off, the sourness is lactic acid.

I'd have expected fresh milk to be more or less neutral. Googling gives:


A study of the pH of individual milk samples

Authors: TSIOULPAS, A; LEWIS, M J; GRANDISON, A S

Source: International Journal of Dairy Technology, Volume 60, Number 2,
May 2007 , pp. 96-97(2)

Abstract:
The pH of 285 milk samples was measured from early, middle and late
stages of lactation. In total, 35 individual cows were used in this
study.

It was found that the average pH value for all individual samples
analysed was 6.63 ± 0.08. There was no significant difference (P 0.05)
in mean pH between early, middle and late lactation. The overall data
and that for early lactation displayed normal distributions.
--
Kay

How to safely plant a soakaway?
 

On Wed, 09 Jan 2008 12:22:18 GMT, Eddy
wrote:

Sacha wrote:
Try the giant rhubarb, the inedible one! Gunnera manicata
http://tinyurl.com/2rd8mr

Some Gunnera Manicatas would look great, Sacha. But how deeply do the
roots grow? They're not evergreen, are they? They'ld be something that
the frost would turn to "cabbage", wouldn't they?

I've been mooching about in Google this morning, and until you suggested
Gunneras it seemed that ornamental grass is the only safe option. Stuff
I've been reading this morning has made me start to worry about the
roots of three large ornamental cherries on the edge of my
leach--plain/soakaway.

Eddy.



What about some of that elephant grass they grow for biofuel?

I suspect it'll have to be something that needs regularly cropping -
like the lawn you have there - shallow roots sound very important.
--
http://www.orderonlinepickupinstore.co.uk
Ah fetch it yourself if you can't wait for delivery
http://www.freedeliveryuk.co.uk
Or get it delivered for free

How to safely plant a soakaway?
 

"K" wrote in message
...
shazzbat writes

"Eddy" wrote in message
...
Thanks, Fuschia & Shazzbat. Rhubarb! Hee, hee, hee. I would never
have imagined it. A surfeit of rhubarb to give me endless bellyache! I
had ulcers some years ago and rhubarb, which is very acidic, is one of
the things I have to avoid!

But the custard, being made almost entirely of milk, must be alkaline,
surely they cancel each other out PH-wise?

Is milk alkaline?

If it goes off, the sourness is lactic acid.

I'd have expected fresh milk to be more or less neutral. Googling gives:


A study of the pH of individual milk samples

Authors: TSIOULPAS, A; LEWIS, M J; GRANDISON, A S

Source: International Journal of Dairy Technology, Volume 60, Number 2,
May 2007 , pp. 96-97(2)

Abstract:
The pH of 285 milk samples was measured from early, middle and late stages
of lactation. In total, 35 individual cows were used in this study.

It was found that the average pH value for all individual samples analysed
was 6.63 ± 0.08. There was no significant difference (P 0.05) in mean pH
between early, middle and late lactation. The overall data and that for
early lactation displayed normal distributions.

Well I'll be damned. I've always thought of milk as alkaline, I don't know
why. I sit corrected.

Steve

How to safely plant on a soakaway?
 

On 9/1/08 20:25, in article ,
"Eddy" wrote:

Sacha wrote:
All I'm going to say to that very useful list is that if you get
Convallaria to grow it's quite possible that I shall never speak to you
again. I have failed with it in every garden I've ever had, wherever
situated. I'm now so paranoid about this that I have asked a member of our
staff to plant it for me and I haven't even touched it!

Well, Sacha, if we DO get some and it grows, I'll HAVE to let you know
how we managed it! :-)

Eddy.

Yes please. And you might like to try the pink variety, too. Very pretty
little thing.

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove weeds from address)
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'

How to safely plant on a soakaway?
 

On 9/1/08 22:54, in article ,
"Sacha" wrote:

On 9/1/08 20:25, in article ,
"Eddy" wrote:

Sacha wrote:
All I'm going to say to that very useful list is that if you get
Convallaria to grow it's quite possible that I shall never speak to you
again. I have failed with it in every garden I've ever had, wherever
situated. I'm now so paranoid about this that I have asked a member of our
staff to plant it for me and I haven't even touched it!

Well, Sacha, if we DO get some and it grows, I'll HAVE to let you know
how we managed it! :-)

Eddy.

Yes please. And you might like to try the pink variety, too. Very pretty
little thing.

Oh! Have just realised this means you won't want to speak to me again.
Damn. Now I'll never learn the secret.......
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove weeds from address)
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'

How to safely plant a soakaway?
 

In message , shazzbat
writes

"K" wrote in message
...
shazzbat writes

"Eddy" wrote in message
...
Thanks, Fuschia & Shazzbat. Rhubarb! Hee, hee, hee. I would never
have imagined it. A surfeit of rhubarb to give me endless bellyache! I
had ulcers some years ago and rhubarb, which is very acidic, is one of
the things I have to avoid!

But the custard, being made almost entirely of milk, must be alkaline,
surely they cancel each other out PH-wise?

Is milk alkaline?

If it goes off, the sourness is lactic acid.

I'd have expected fresh milk to be more or less neutral. Googling gives:


A study of the pH of individual milk samples

Authors: TSIOULPAS, A; LEWIS, M J; GRANDISON, A S

Source: International Journal of Dairy Technology, Volume 60, Number 2,
May 2007 , pp. 96-97(2)

Abstract:
The pH of 285 milk samples was measured from early, middle and late stages
of lactation. In total, 35 individual cows were used in this study.

It was found that the average pH value for all individual samples analysed
was 6.63 ± 0.08. There was no significant difference (P 0.05) in mean pH
between early, middle and late lactation. The overall data and that for
early lactation displayed normal distributions.

Well I'll be damned. I've always thought of milk as alkaline, I don't know
why. I sit corrected.

Common wisdom is that milk is rich in Calcium. Calcium is an alkaline
earth metal. The impression that milk is alkaline probably derives from
this (and milk being less acidic than many other foods).

--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

How to safely plant a soakaway?
 

shazzbat wrote:
It was found that the average pH value for all individual samples analysed
was 6.63 ± 0.08. There was no significant difference (P 0.05) in mean pH
between early, middle and late lactation. The overall data and that for
early lactation displayed normal distributions.

Well I'll be damned. I've always thought of milk as alkaline, I don't know
why. I sit corrected.

Me too. I think the reason why we've always thought that milk is the
opposite of acid is because it has a good "mopping up" effect. I can't
remember the verb! But it "jellifies" and in this process absorbs and
contains stronger acids that may be causing discomfort to the stomach
lining. Been suffering with acid tummy all my life!

Eddy.