Over the Garden Gate: Gardening on the rainy side
While it’s been a rather dry spring ― with many gardeners hoping for some rain to bring their plants back to life ― the forecast looks like we will finally get some much-needed showers this week! Gardening during prolonged periods of rain produces unique challenges ― save the information shared here in case the showers we did not get in April come full force during May!
During rainy seasons, I have found our yard is a constantly soggy site. Located on the lower part of a hill, placed in a shady hollow with little sunshine or airflow, the soil gets saturated and rarely has time to dry before the next round of storms. Neighbors’ runoff and natural springs add to the dilemma. Our turf-grass slides off the soil like a bad toupee, and walking on the slopes is dangerous as you slalom to the bottom or end up with mud on your derriere.
Most gardeners have heard the rule, “Right Plant, Right Place.” This is truer than ever when planting in wet locations. Not only will plants selected for their tolerance to these conditions do best, but they will also help control water runoff, pollution and erosion. Proper plants can turn a detriment into a benefit!
Depending on the size of your site, it is often recommended to start with trees. Leaves, branch surfaces, and trunk bark intercept and store some rainfall before it even reaches the ground, helping to reduce runoff from the get-go. Their expansive root systems then absorb much of the precipitation once in the ground. Trees that do well in wet locations include Willows (Salix sp.), Red Maple (Acer Rubrum), River Birch (Betula nigra), Black Gum or Tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica) and several oaks, such as Swamp White Oak (Quercus bicolor), Pin Oak (Quercus palustris) and Willow Oak (Quercus phellos).
A secondary layer of bushes and shrubs will add habitat and visual interest and curtail even more runoff. Consider Winterberry (Ilex verticillata), Inkberry (Ilex glabra), Spice bush (Lindera benozion), Highbush Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum), or several species of dogwood, including Red-osier Dogwood (Cornus sericea) and Silky dogwood (Cornus amomum). Many of these species are important for birds and other wildlife.
Adding perennials increases texture, color, and pollinator habitats. Foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia) and Turtlehead (Chelone oblique) are lovely natives that attract pollinators. Many species of Irises (also known as Flags) also make a nice addition to a rain-tolerant garden. Avoid Yellow Iris (Iris pseudacorus), which are very invasive, as well as Bearded Iris (Iris germanica), which needs good drainage. Try instead Siberian Iris (Iris sibirica), Japanese Iris (Iris ensata) or Japanese Sweet Flags (Acorus gramineus), which is not a true iris but thrives in boggy locations.
Native Blue Phlox (Phlox divaricate) is a gorgeous groundcover that will be happy in these conditions. Many common ground covers like English Ivy (Hedera helix), Bugleweed (Ajuga reptans), and Periwinkle or Creeping Myrtle (Vinca minor) which can do well in many conditions are considered invasive in many states, taking over native woodland habitats. Be careful planting any ground covers and keep an eye on where they wander. Be aware of any cuttings you add to compost sites as well.
The tall yellow spikes of The Rocket (Ligularia sp.) and red spikes of Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis) are eye-catching and are good choices for a moist site. I love the sweet little blue flowers of the self-seeding Forget-me-Not (Myosotis sp.), but this is another one to keep an eye on, as it has the potential to become invasive.
Marsh Marigold (Caltha palustris) is recommended by many gardeners for moist sites, as is Obedient Plant (Physostegia virginiana). Another favorite is Joe Pye Weed (Eupatorium Purpureum) ― favored by pollinators, too!
I have ferns, which thrive in our moist conditions. Huge ostrich ferns (Matteuccai struthiopterisl) are stunning and return year after year. I also have wild ginger (Asarum canadense) and lungwort (Pulmonaria sp.) which are doing fine in the wet garden beds. This fall I hope to add Jack-in-the-Pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum) to our woodland gardens, an old favorite from childhood hikes.
Rain or shine, a gardener is a gardener. Whether watching the weeds grow from my covered porch, or dodging raindrops to pull them, every day in the garden, wet or dry, is a good one.
For further reading and recommendations on species that tolerate wet conditions, visit https://extension.psu.edu/trees-shrubs-and-groundcovers-tolerant-of-wet-sites.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY NETWORK: Over the Garden Gate: Gardening on the rainy side
