Rain garden: Save the plants!
Rain gardens are often new gardens, installed in public spaces or at new construction where there are water issues. Or by homeowners who have water problems they want to solve. My rain garden is going in where a garden has already been planted, and the first task was to take the existing plants out. I am not a hard-hearted gardener -- I am always trying to find a happy spot for an unhappy plant. It is hard for me to just toss plants out.
I am also a cheap gardener, and I'd like to replant as much of the plant material I have as I can.Right now the garden contains the following: 2 climbing roses, 2 peonies, daylilies, rose of Sharon, sedum, Russian sage, coneflowers, Siberian iris, clematis and, underneath, daffodil bulbs.
Rain gardens are best planted with natives, and ones that can not only handle drought, but temporarily boggy conditions as well. And there are lists of recommended plants. Right now, I will take YOUR recommendations. Which plants should go back into the rain garden?
Photo credit: Baltimore Sun/Susan Reimer
Comments
For sure you need my new Lobelia cardinalis. It's called 'Fried Green Tomatoes' it not only loves the rain, but it'll attract hummingbirds galore and the foliage is deep purple! It's fantastic! Check it out and let me know if you'd like some.
http://www.plantsnouveau.com/2008/10/16/lobelia-cardinalis-fried-green-tomatoes/
Angela
Posted by: Angela Treadwell-Palmer | October 23, 2009 11:57 AM
Tiger Lily, which just happens to be one of my favorite plants. They survive pretty much anything and multiply like mad so they're cheaply come by. Say the word, I'll drop a bag full of roots by The Sun's office for you.
Eve. I have two kinds of daylilies...Do you think I can put them safely back in the garden?--Susan
Posted by: Eve | October 23, 2009 1:21 PM
Susan, I'm not sure that the Tiger Lilies I've been growing are in the same family (genus?) as Day Lilies.
I grow the Common Wildflower "type" that are sometimes called Ditch Lillies. They have tuberous roots instead of bulbs, which, I suspect, might go mushy, having had tulips do that once in response to an unfortunately wet location choice.
Posted by: Eve | October 26, 2009 10:25 AM