Plants for Wet Locations

Ever wondered what to do about that area in your garden that's constantly wet? Well you actually have a lot to choose from for interesting grasses, plants and shrubs that will thrive in soggy soil. Paul Epsom shares some Best Bets that he chose for planting around the Victory Garden pond.

Carex elata
'Bowles Golden'
'Bowles Golden' is an interesting grass that will give a dramatic splash of yellow in any wet area, growing to a height of around 2 feet.



Eupatorium purpureum
'Big Umbrella'
joe pye weed
For a big perennial, you can't do better than this variety of joe pye weed. It will grow to a height of about 60 to 70 inches and bloom late in the summer with pink to purple flowers.



Astilbe cv.
Well known as a regular garden perennial, Astilbe will also do well in very wet soil, blossoming with intricate white flowers.



Clethra alnifolia
'Hummingbird'
summersweet
Shrubs are great for covering a lot of ground in a wet area, and summersweet will do just that. Flowering in midsummer, 'Hummingbird' is one of the most fragrant varieties. It will fill the area with a lovely scent similar to lilac.



Salix integra
'Hakuro Nishiki'
nishiki willow
The nishiki is a small willow shrub with interesting green leaf variegation.



Viburnum
'Moonglow'
'Moonglow' is a plant native to England that fruits with attractive blue berries.



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This segment appears in show #2710.