evergreens for wet soil?
- Subject: evergreens for wet soil?
- From: D* W*
- Date: Tue, 7 May 2002 20:51:40 -0700
I am helping with my son's new garden, the complete opposite of my
soil conditions. I live on top of a hill that also has a gravel pit
on it. He is at sea level, and when the tide is high, the
neighbourhood floods. I don't think it is seawater, just that the
storm drains probably empty into the sea and the water has nowhere to
go during a very high tide. Yesterday, when the tides were normal, I
found water at a trowel's depth. I am amazed that there are a couple
of old apple trees that seem to be thriving. The previous owner and
the neighbour on one side made some raised beds, but it was in one of
these that I discovered the water when I dug out an unhappy trillium.
The entire back yard and part of the front is also full of horsetail
(Equisetum), so I don't want to plant anything permanent until I get
control of that. (Amazing how nice the yard looked when he bought it
midwinter. I was looking forward to interesting old dormant plants
emerging in the spring, so the horsetail was an unhappy surprise.)
A couple of questions:
I have checked on waterside plants, and they all seem to lose their
leaves in the winter. Does anyone know of any that don't?
Does anyone have a suggestion for a fast annual that would like heavy
wet soil, to help shade out the horsetail?
The area is mild in winter, but not very warm in summer - tomatoes
need all the help they can get to ripen before winter.
Diane Whitehead Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
maritime zone 8, Sunset zone 4
cool mediterranean climate
