Re: [SG] "bog" garden/astilbes

Nancy,

I really don't know as this is a first class experiment on my part.  Even
the one other small bed I have in the Circle Garden that I can keep damp
drains very well.  I note that Lillian and Anne's plants get periodic
flooding...so just might be worth taking a chance.  Nothing ventured,
nothing gained and half of gardening is experimenting on pushing the
envelope, IMO.  Some you win and some you lose.

I did plant my Astilbes rather high around the edge in the hopes that the
crowns would drain while the roots stayed wet.  Although they seem to have
made it through the winter, I need to have a whole season (preferably a
"normal" rain one) with them to see if it's too wet for them.  They suffer
so in the rest of my garden, especially when we have drought summers -
seems more often than not recently.

My "bog/damp" bed has two sheets of overlapping plastic covering the
bottom.  I did not poke holes in it on the theory that water would find its
way out through the join, which is not sealed.  We shall see what happens -
I'm just delighted to find that the things I put in are greening up and not
just moldy lumps of rotted vegetation...so far anyway!

Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
mtalt@clark.net
Editor:  Gardening in Shade
current article: Hellebores - Part 2
http://suite101.com/welcome.cfm/222
All garden topics welcome page:
http://www.suite101.com/welcome.cfm/3425#top5

----------
> From: Nancy Stedman <stedman@INTERPORT.NET>
> Date: Wednesday, April 07, 1999 8:06 AM
>
> Marge: After reading about your "damp/bog" garden, I'm wondering if the
> implication is that astilbes will stand periodic flooding. I need to put
> something in front of a drainage hole in a retaining wall that will flood
> whenever it rains really hard.
> Nancy
>
>
>
> >That should work for you.  My "damp/bog" bed is essentially that, only
> >rather larger and lined with 6 mil plastic.  I am thrilled to see the
> >Primulas showing - wasn't sure for a while if they would return after
late
> >fall planting and really soggy winter soil.  And, the Astilbes are
leafing
> >out - thought for sure I'd killed those with wet!!!  If the deer don't
eat
> >everything, it may amount to something yet!
> >
> >What you might do, to hedge your bets, is build up the part where you
want
> >to put the Ligularia so that it mounds up above the surface of the rest
of
> >the "bog" bed, keeping the plant's crown a bit drier while allowing the
> >roots to stay soggy.  In hot climates, they will droop even with water,
> >just from the heat, so don't be alarmed - they revive when it cools
down.
> >
> >Interestingly enough, when I was doing the article on Primrose Path
> >nursery, I chatted with owner, Martha Oliver, about my Primula problems
and
> >she told me they grow all of theirs in wet sand beds.  I was intrigued
as I
> >had recently put in a sand bed for *dry* loving plants!
> >
> >She sent me the instructions, which I put up on a related page to the
> >article...seems quite easy to do and I mean to try this one day.  Here's
> >the URL to that page FYI.
> >
> >http://suite101.com/topic_page.cfm/222/266
> >
> >Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
> >mtalt@clark.net
> >Editor:  Gardening in Shade
> >current article: Hellebores - Part 2
> >http://suite101.com/welcome.cfm/222
> >All garden topics welcome page:
> >http://www.suite101.com/welcome.cfm/3425#top5
> >----------
> >> From: M R W <mrwill1@JUNO.COM>
> >> Date: Monday, April 05, 1999 5:40 PM
> >>
> >> Thanks, Marge. That sounds hopeful.
> >>
> >> My plan was to adapt something someone (was it you, Gene?) said last
fall
> >> on using a buried child's wading pool to make a moisture bed for
growing
> >> primulas. I only have room for one ligularia so was hoping to dig a
nice
> >> big hole and line it with plastic to retain moisture rather than
having
> >> it drain away, since I know I won't water enough to make it happy
> >> otherwise.
> >>
> >> A bonus to this, I hope, would be to create damp edges around this for
> >> other plants that like extra moisture but not as much as the
ligularia.
> >>
> >>                 Mary
> >>                 zone 6
> >>
> >> >Well, I've been waiting for someone who actually knew the answer to
> >> >your
> >> >question to reply, but if they've done it - I've missed it.  So,
> >> >FWIW...
> >> >
> >> >'The Rocket' will grow in average garden soil as long as you keep it
> >> >moist.
> >> > It will droop like mad when it gets hot, no matter how much you
> >> >water, but
> >> >it's a lovely plant, nonetheless.
> >> >
> >> >I don't know how it would do in a bog.  I moved my 'Desdemona' to my
> >> >new
> >> >"bog" (really more of a damp) garden last fall and see two leaves
> >> >emerging,
> >> >so it stood really wet soil over winter.
> >> >
> >> >Both are ligularias, but different species, so I don't know if they
> >> >would
> >> >respond the same to lack of good drainage.  Christopher Lloyd seems
> >> >to
> >> >think the entire genus does well "on any soil or site, well drained
or
> >> >not"
> >> >(The Well-Tempered Garden)...so maybe it will.
> >> >
> >> >Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
> >> >mtalt@clark.net
> >> >Editor:  Gardening in Shade
> >> >current article: Hellebores - Part 1
> >> >http://suite101.com/welcome.cfm/222
> >> >All garden topics welcome page:
> >> >http://www.suite101.com/welcome.cfm/3425#top5
> >> >
> >> >----------
> >> >> From: M R W <mrwill1@JUNO.COM>
> >> >> Date: Monday, March 29, 1999 5:48 PM
> >> >>
> >> >> I've been looking at Ligularia "The Rocket" for quite a while now
> >> >and
> >> >> just took the plunge and ordered it. My question: I know it needs
> >> >> moisture; is it "moist and well-drained soil" that it needs, or can
> >> >it
> >> >> take ground that's soggy, especially in winter?
> >> >>
> >> >>                 Thanks--
> >> >>                 Mary
> >> >>                 MO, zone 6
> >>
> >> ___________________________________________________________________
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> >
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