Re: [SG] "bog" garden/astilbes

Where I live (Zone 9, Northern California), it generally rains consistently
from November/December - February/March. I only planted my astilbes last
year spring, but they all came back up this year. The drainage is probably
decent by now (after working compost into the clay for 4 years), but not
spectacular. Don't know yet how well they'll bloom this year.

Alaina Sloo





-----Original Message-----
From: Nancy Stedman [s*@INTERPORT.NET]
Sent: Wednesday, April 07, 1999 5:07 AM
To: shadegardens@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU
Subject: [SG] "bog" garden/astilbes


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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