h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

my garden is getting verrry water logged- i dont suppose you have any suggestions for thirsty plants that would glug some of the flippin' H2O away? many thanks

Two possibilities come to mind:

1) Trees.

Swamps are normally only a temporary state until the scrub takes over unless there is strong underlying geographical feature like a river.

2) Watercress.

It grows fast and spreads in ponds, and cam also grow in damp soil so I would imagine it will efficiently soak up plenty of water.

But what is your patch like after a warm dry spell?

hee hee! im in east kilbride, scotland- we dont have warm dry spells! not for the past three years anyway! thanks very much for the tip

Of course, you could give up fighting it, and grow things that will love it. A616312 is an entry I wrote about ponds mainly, but it does mention bog gardens. (or 'wetland' as I was feeling polite at the time!)

I can sympathise here Primord. Every winter I look at the standing water at the 'wrong end' of the garden and make a new year's resolution to purchase 10 tonnes of gravel and get digging. However, by the time the temperature is high enough for me to venture outside with purpose, the spring growth has sucked up the surplus, and there's always something more urgent to get on with.

Like a

If your plot is a year round bog, then I agree, you should make the most of it with Gunnera maculata, Osmunda regalis, Swamp cypress, Astilbes etc etc.

Unfortunately, if your garden dries out during the summer when these plants get a real thirst on - (you can tell that I'm waiting for the pub to open ) - most of them will keel over.

If it's just winter wet then I don't think plants can help - even the evergreens are dormant then. So it's back to the 10 tonnes of gravel.

Or just tolerate a few drowning victims each year (see 'Rotting in the Sodden Earth' conversation this page)

Wilfrid

many thanks for the advice I did try gravel a few years ago, but with only a tiny success. Il give the bog plant solution a try, ' cos the bottom of me garden NEVER drys up! thanks to everyone