Water babies
GLORY IN THE TRUE MAGNIFICENCE OF PLANTS WHICH THRIVE ON BEING WET, WET, WET
AFTER a very wet May, we are all hoping for a sunny June and being outdoors as much as possible.
Our gardens have been deluged, and May is on track to be the wettest on record. But of course there are some plants that are delighted with all this damp weather.
A recent walk around the garden showed certain species storming ahead.
Astilbes, for example, have put on lots of growth – lovely crinkly ferny foliage – and will soon be ready to send up their colourful plumes.
Also called false goatsbeard, these delightful flowers come in beautiful bright pinks, purples and whites, and are certainly one of the best choices for adding pops of colour in semi-shady places.
And they’re also so low-maintenance.
The rodgersias are also benefiting from lots of saturation. They are a great foliage plant for shady situations with their large palm-shaped leaves that often emerge bronzecoloured and turn to green. They also send up great panicles of white or pink flowers in summer and are ideal if you have a boggy part of the garden.
Other architectural plants that like these conditions are gunnera – the giant rhubarb – and ligularia. The latter have round to heart-shaped serrated leaves with a purple underside – with ‘The Rocket’ variety showing spikes of deep yellow flowers in mid-summer.
And, of course, hostas with their beautiful leaves add texture and interest to the borders.
Solomon’s seal (Polygonatum) is luxuriating in the lushness and producing long arching stems laden with pendant creamy pearl-like flowers.
A member of the wider asparagus family, the shoots in spring poke upwards through the soil like mysterious green persicopes investigating new terrain. It’s a cottage garden favourite, but I think its elegant stems earn it a place in many schemes where ground is sufficiently moist.
Another relative is the sweetly perfumed lily of the valley, Convallaria majalis. The small bell-shaped flowers also grow on arching stems and are a favourite for spring bridal bouquets.
Other thirsty plants drinking up the excess moisture are bamboos, ferns, hydrangeas and primulas. Of course these plants aren’t the only ones who enjoy damp conditions – slugs and snails thrive in the damp, so it’s time get patrolling and remove any you see. Avoid slug pellets which do more harm than
Hostas with... beautiful leaves add texture... to the borders
good, though there are some organic versions available now. There are other deterrents – crushed egg shells or other gritty materials, such as spent coffee, around the base of susceptible species will create a barrier that they don’t like to cross.
But materials like this can get washed away in sodden borders so you have to keep reapplying. The really heavy recent downpours will have washed away some of the soil nutrients, so it’s the perfect time of year to apply some slow-release fertiliser or liquid feed to replenish the earth.
Now all we need is a bit of sunshine for them all.