Wet weather gardening Bring on the rain
Choose the right plants for the wet conditions, sit back and let it be lush, advises Noel Kingsbury
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Too much water in winter is causing gardeners in many parts of Britain increasing problems. These are not confined to those living in a flood plain or near a river that occasionally bursts its banks. Many gardens simply have a high water table.
Installing drainage may not be an option, as there may not be anywhere for the water to go. Raised beds may be a possibility for vegetables or a few choice plants, but who, realistically, is going to construct their entire garden this way?
Excess water in the winter is just something that many of us have to live with. But there is no reason why you should not have a thriving and beautiful garden. The key is selecting the right plants. But first some basic plant physiology. Why does flooding or waterlogging kill plants?
The roots of most plants need to breathe. If they cannot breathe they begin to die, and dead roots provide food for fungal diseases that then attack healthy roots. There is a big difference between woody plants (trees and shrubs) and herbaceous ones.
Woody plants cumulatively build up a root system over many years, so one flood can destroy an entire root structure. Herbaceous perennials, however, renew a large part of their root system annually, so they can recover. Perennials also have shallow root systems so can flourish in situations with a high water table.
Tags: perennials, plants, shrub, shrubs, trees and shrubs, vegetables0
