Low-lying garden: a solution for a wetland. Photo

Groundwater on the site: which plants to choose?

The proximity of groundwater is a common problem that many people face when planning a garden, since the depth of groundwater required for each crop is different.
Why is water dangerous for plants? Sometimes trees in an area with a high groundwater level grow safely for several years, and then quickly die. The reason for this is the gradual growth of the root system. Plant roots that have grown up to groundwater do not receive the required amount of oxygen, which is why the upper shoots begin to dry out, which can lead to the death of the entire plant. Also, high humidity is detrimental to many species: the roots can simply rot, which will lead to disastrous consequences.

Draining the area will help cope with this problem. To do this, main ditches deep to groundwater are dug along the perimeter of the site, or shallow wells (a regular deep well works on the same principle) into which excess water from the site will drain.

The second, slightly less effective method is to drain the area by planting plants with greater moisture absorption.

The easiest way to have a beautiful front lawn

You've certainly seen the perfect lawn in a movie, on an alley, or perhaps on your neighbor's lawn. Those who have ever tried to grow a green area on their site will no doubt say that it is a huge amount of work. The lawn requires careful planting, care, fertilization, and watering. However, only inexperienced gardeners think this way; professionals have long known about the innovative product - liquid lawn AquaGrazz .

Plants disappear because the wet soil does not allow enough oxygen to pass through, and the roots suffocate, and groundwater contributes to their rotting. Also, toxic products (aluminum salt, nitrates, various types of gases, acids) are often formed in wet, swampy soil, which interfere with plant growth.

Methods for draining lowland swamps

Drainage of low-lying swamps is possible using the following methods:

Help from professionals

You can invite a team of specialists who, using pumps, will almost instantly pump out all the excess water from the area; significant drainage can be observed on the same day. But this is quite expensive, and sometimes the problem of waterlogging returns.

Sanding

Adding sand in equal proportions to the parent rock improves the quality of the soil, and also increases air exchange. In order to improve the yield of the resulting soil, it is recommended to add humus to it, which will allow you to grow vegetables and herbs on the site.

Drainage

To effectively and permanently drain a swampy area, all experts recommend making a drain or drainage. It is best done using a system of plastic pipes with small holes in the walls. They should be laid in specially dug ditches with a depth of about 60-70 cm for clay, 75-85 for loam and up to a meter for sandy areas. Drains must be dug with a slope, so the water will not stagnate in them, but can flow into a sewer pipe, well or reservoir; this should be the lowest point of the site.

Trees in a swampy area

It is most effective to use a herringbone system, in which small pipes collect excess moisture from around the area and carry it to the main pipe, which carries the water out of the area. In swampy gardens, as a rule, there is already a common drainage ditch; if it is missing, the water can be diverted to the nearest body of water. You can also dig a well, the lower boundary of which will be below the groundwater level, fill it with crushed stone, and water will flow into it. With such an integrated approach, the drying of the area will be noticeable within a couple of days to a week. The drains themselves can be covered with earth, but to make maintaining them easier, you can fill them with gravel or crushed stone.

Open ditches

To remove excess moisture directly from the surface of the earth, you can make open ditches, the edges of which should be beveled by about 20 degrees to avoid shedding, but this method is not used in sandy areas, since the ditches quickly collapse and the sand is washed away. This method of drainage is very common; it can be seen in almost every garden. The disadvantage of this method is the gradual crumbling, clogging of the watercourse with plant particles and debris, and water blooming, so these structures must be regularly cleaned with a regular shovel.

French ditches

In France, drainage of wetlands is carried out using deep ditches filled with crushed stone. For the system to be effective, you need to either dig trenches and lead them into the well, or dig ditches down to a layer of sand that will allow water to pass through. Such ditches are more aesthetically pleasing, do not clog and do not bloom, but if they are clogged with earth, cleaning becomes very difficult. But the ditch can be disguised as a path by strewing it with pebbles, crushed stone or laying wooden slices on top.

Read also: What delicious things to cook for tea

Wells

The technology of their operation is similar to ditches; for this it is necessary to dig holes one meter deep, about half a meter in diameter at the bottom and up to two at the top. They should be dug at the lowest points of the site, and then covered with crushed stone. All excess water will flow into such wells.

Dig a pond

After the construction of a decorative pond, excess water will flow into it and evaporate, and soon a significant drainage of the area will be observed. For these purposes, the Cross Canal was built a long time ago in the French residence of the monarchs at Versailles - the effectiveness of the method is obvious.

Drainage of swampy areas

Tree planting

Some tree species can save a wetland from waterlogging. The most useful for these purposes are willows and birches, which can evaporate large amounts of moisture through the leaf blades. These trees effectively dry out nearby areas of soil, although it may take several years to completely dry the area. You can think through the design of the site in advance, initially planting only moisture-loving crops, and when the trees have completed their task, move on to the desired types of plants.

Raised beds

To be able to grow vegetables and herbs, owners of wetlands must build raised beds, so that excess moisture will collect in the ditches between the beds, and the areas themselves will become noticeably drier. Moreover, there is such a pattern: the higher the plot is raised, the more diverse crops can be grown on it. Many people think that it is impossible to farm in waterlogged areas, but you just need to look at photographs of a Dutch or Finnish vegetable garden surrounded by a complex system of canals to be convinced of the effectiveness of the method. After all, in these countries, with the help of technology and labor, almost everything is grown, and they also make good money from it.

Imported soil

The level of the site can be raised with the help of additionally imported land, which, after plowing, will be mixed with fertile but heavy marshy soils, as a result the site will become suitable for growing crops and very fertile; experts note that cultivated marshy lands do not require fertilization for several more years.

come to terms

It is not necessary to fight the swampy area; you can interestingly play up the unusual moisture content of your summer cottage: dig a pond, plant it with moisture-loving plants, choosing the design of a traditional swamp corner. In such conditions, lingonberries, cranberries, iris, Volzhanka, hydrangea, rhododendron, spirea, thuja, chokeberry and cotoneaster feel great. Ferns and virgin grapes will complement the beauty of the swamp garden. Perhaps you will like such beauty so much that you will no longer want to change anything.

Raised bog is formed on watersheds, that is, hills, and does not depend on the level of groundwater. Excess moisture in such areas is formed due to the fact that incoming precipitation is delayed, unable to penetrate below due to a waterproof horizon, most often clay. The soil of the raised bogs is not fertile and is quite acidic. To use such areas, it is necessary to reduce the acidity of the soil; dolomite flour, slaked lime and chalk are suitable for this. It is also necessary to constantly supply fertile soil and manure to such places in order to obtain a plot suitable for growing vegetables in a couple of years.

Having become the owner of a swampy area, you should not despair, because if you know what and how to do correctly, you can not only make this piece of land suitable for growing vegetables, berries and fruits, but also build a country house on it. You just need to approach this important matter comprehensively, responsibly and wisely. From all of the above, we can conclude that there are a huge number of ways to deal with a wetland, but it may turn out that even these effective methods will not help, and then all that remains is to resign yourself and equip such an area in your dacha. To do this, there are a huge number of different effective ways that will even help decorate such an area.

What fruit plants are best to plant in the garden to drain the soil?

There is only one contender here - the plum. Despite this, plum has so many subspecies that you can easily choose the one that is suitable for your garden. Do not forget that the main thing is not the variety or variety of plum, but the rootstock on which it is grafted. It is the roots that grow in the soil and respond to it. But since an ordinary gardener who purchases plants in a nursery, and most often from hand, does not have the opportunity to influence the rootstock, we will do it simpler. Just believe my experience and take it as faith that renklads drain the soil best, but they are also more demanding of the soil, so you will achieve successful growth and abundant fruiting of plums by planting them using the technology described above.

Damsons.

But the least worries and a wonderful harvest of fruits are produced by damsons. There are also a huge number of varieties; the trees are compact and can be planted three meters apart. At the same time, damson plums practically do not suffer from pests, unlike ordinary plums. And of course, cherry plum is suitable for very lazy summer residents. Its modern species have quite large and tasty fruits, unlike those that we are used to seeing everywhere.

And now about the best plants, about which in Rus' they make up fairy tales and sing songs. Weeping willow. It is suitable for any site, be it a garden, cottage or personal plot. The weeping willow can look like a tree or shrub and has more than 600 species and varieties. Some varieties of willow, under certain conditions, grow to a height of only 20 cm. That is why weeping willow is considered the best of the plants that help drain the soil and at the same time it easily fits into any landscape project.

And finally, as promised, a true story about an ash tree, from the life of a landscape designer. Read more.

Not all garden plots are located on flat terrain; more often, garden plots have many disadvantages: swampy or heavily humidified areas, elevation changes, specific soil, dense thickets, or water occurrence. You can also improve the soil in lowlands by planting moisture-loving plants, shrubs and trees; you can also display an indoor flower in a flowerpot. You can create a picturesque corner without using artificial methods.

Lowlands can be destructive for some plants; the main factors are considered to be: an increased percentage of humidity and dampness, as well as stagnation of cold air.

These conditions negatively affect the roots and buds of plants, causing them detrimental harm. Some of them cannot withstand excessive humidity and frost and die because of this. But such conditions are quite acceptable for moisture-loving plants, shrubs and trees, and planting does not require additional soil filling or digging a trench to drain water. Planting a garden on such soil is a must to reduce the acidity of the soil and enrich the soil with a nutrient substrate.

Low-lying plot: what to plant, how to plant

Bush course

The willow tree was quickly removed. There were depressions left, which filled with water in rainy weather and subsequently became artificial swamps. The empty plot made a dull impression, and I began to gradually form plantings, leaving space for lawns in accordance with the previously prepared plan. From the very beginning I focused on shrubs and trees .
Various willows feel excellent. It was assumed that in front of the house there would be a fruit and decorative part (apple trees, pears, near the swamp - willows and many different shrubs). I planted apple trees on small hills and willows near the proposed ponds (they will appear only after 3 years). I managed to buy some, but I simply sketched out some. globular willow , beautiful red pendulous willow , and exotic twisting willow appeared in my garden . At first, the ends of the branches of the last two froze, but then they acclimatized and began to grow actively, invariably attracting the attention of guests. When I saw how good these willows were and how comfortable they were on my harsh site, I immediately started cuttings, and now their duplicates appeared at different ends of the site.

The fruit and decorative part of the garden is mostly formed and has already grown. For some time I was fascinated by perennials, which then appeared in abundance on sale. But every spring floods and winter cold caused enormous damage to my plantings. And I realized that the initial course towards shrubs was correct, and the surviving unpretentious perennials can be used as complementary crops.

Where it is drier, barberries grow well

There weren’t many ornamental shrubs and trees adapted to our climate on sale. I tried everything, but weigels , deutsias , buddleias and other interesting breeds turned out to be too delicate for my site. What remains are spireas , barberries , silver oleagin , and bladderworts .

For spirea and barberries we had to choose drier places. But sucker and bladderworts grow everywhere in a wide variety of combinations. The combination of silver oleaster with Ginnala maple , whose leaves turn bright red in mid-autumn, is very impressive. The maple grows in the form of a bush - this is how it was formed by regular freezing.

An impressive combination of silver eelgrass and Ginnala maple

How complex and unfavorable the microclimate is in my area is also evidenced by the condition of the white dogwoods (Cornus alba). They were the first shrubs that I began to plant on the site, but naturally I chose decorative varieties: 'Sibirika Variegata' , 'Elegantissima' , 'Gauchaultii' , 'Spaethii' .

And this is the result: 'Elegantissima' is growing, but in 7 years it could have grown even more, and 'Spaethii' did not survive the severe winter of 2005/06. How cold does it have to be for the turf to freeze? True, the other two forms feel good.

Oddly enough, shrubby cinquefoils , and therefore there are many of them with a wide variety of flowers: yellow and pink of all shades, white, red, orange. It’s wonderful that almost all of them bloom from mid-June until frost. The tips of the branches sometimes freeze a little, but since cinquefoils require spring pruning by 5–10 cm to form a neat bush shape, this does not affect them.

The cinquefoils also liked the area

Some park and musk roses , which greatly enliven the garden. But with trees it’s more difficult, since groundwater is close. You have to select suitable breeds, and this takes a lot of time.

I planned to plant groups of trees and shrubs behind the house, and leave lawns between them. I conventionally called this part of the garden “forest”. Here she settled larches , species and Michurin rowan trees , lindens , and hazelnuts . In my dreams I had linden and walnut alleys, a barberry paradise.

I decided to make colored spots from red-leaved apple trees : 'Jay Darling' , 'Nora Grabe' , 'Profusion' , red-leaved umbrella . Not everything went smoothly with these apple trees: something was lost in the winter (more often if the grafting was highly conceived). But this material was free for me, since I grew the rootstocks and did the grafting myself, so everything was planted multiple times and in different places. In any case, four apple trees, especially the umbrella one, successfully withstood severe frosts and produced good growth.

Not in the damp, but in the shade

Another problem that often arises is shadow areas. Rare garden crops will be able to live there. Moreover, if it is a dense shadow from the north side of the building, and not from another tree. Greenery from trees and bushes will transform the dull appearance of such places. And if they bear fruit, then in addition to the variety of foliage, you will also get a harvest. What will suit:

raspberries;
currant;
dogwood;
hazel;
blackberry;
viburnum;
gooseberry;
barberry;
honeysuckle;
Apple tree;
elder.

The best choice for shade would be currants. Easy to care for, multiplies quickly, winter-hardy, tasty and healthy. Elderberry also diversifies the appearance of the site. It protects the garden from pests and has healing properties. Viburnum will especially please you. Carved leaves, beautiful flowers, bright and healthy berries. Rosehip feels comfortable in the shade. It attracts bumblebees with its delicate flowers in the summer and bears fruit in the fall. Dry these berries and enjoy aromatic tea in winter. Raspberries will be able to bear fruit in a shaded, but not too damp place. Raspberries and apple trees do not take root well next to each other, so place them in different parts of the garden.

Medicinal dogwood is underestimated by summer residents, although its appearance will decorate any area. And from the unique, sour fruits you can make vitamin jam. Both children and adults love hazelnuts. Its tall bushes develop well in the shade, and during flowering they will improve everyone’s mood. Dwarf species have become very popular among barberry. Decorative thorny shrubs diversify the shady landscape. Blackberries and gooseberries will grow without problems in semi-shaded areas.

Calamus marsh

It is found in swampy areas, near rivers and lakes, but is also grown in summer cottages. Calamus grows in fertile, flooded, muddy areas, but prefers open sunny spaces and looks great in a wetland. The decorative deciduous plant has long leaves of a bright green color with peculiar “frills” along the edges. To create a spectacular flower arrangement, calamus is planted next to its early flowering neighbors, which cover the curtains in early summer. At a summer cottage, it is best to plant a garden variety called Variegata. Its characteristic feature is cream and white stripes. The plant requires regular weeding and division of clumps if it grows excessively. Thanks to its unusual appearance and color, and relatively low height, calamus always looks neat and original; of course, if the plant is properly cared for, it becomes a wonderful decoration for a personal plot.

Buzulniki

They are relatives

from the Asteraceae/Compositae family; will feel great in conditions of moisture and shade.

Buzulnik Przhevalsky, photo from GreenLab website

All of them are interesting for their spectacular large leaves and basket-shaped inflorescences, which are collected in panicles, brushes, corymbs, and umbrellas; bloom from the second half of summer and bloom until late autumn.

Przewalski's buzulnik (Ligularia przewalskii) is a large perennial up to 2 m high and up to 1 m wide, forming dense thickets. He is originally from Northern China. The beauty lies more in the large (up to 30 cm long) palmate leaves. The basket-like inflorescences are yellow, up to 2 cm in diameter, collected in a raceme-like inflorescence.

Decorative varieties:

'The Rocket' - grows with our Vera in Biysk: she complains that it feels bad in the sun, the leaves wither;
'Dragon's Breath' and 'Light Fingered' both have leaves that are more rugged than the original species;
'Weihenstephan' - up to 1.8 m high, yellow inflorescences-baskets, 6-7 cm in diameter.

(L. dentata) - a stately perennial 1-1.5 m high and about 1 m wide, forms thickets. It also comes from China and Japan. The inflorescences-baskets are orange-yellow, large (up to 10 cm in diameter), collected in corymbs. Decorative varieties:

'Desdemona' - up to 1 m high, rounded, brownish leaves, burgundy-violet below, bright orange flowers;
'Othello' - up to 1 m high, similar to 'Desdemona', leaves dark purple on both sides, flowers orange.

In addition, some other buzulniks are of interest to the southern regions:

b. Kaempfer (L. kaempferi) - very decorative - naturally spotted;
b. Hesse (L. x hessei);
b. Japanese (L. japonica).

Wilson's Buzulnik. Photo by the author

Many types of buzulnik thrive in moist soils and damp places; they are recommended to be planted along the banks of reservoirs. These large perennials with powerful leaves and tall peduncles form dense bushes. Wilson's bush (Ligularia wilsoniana) is distinguished by large, kidney-shaped leaves on long petioles. The peduncle with yellow baskets collected in a brush reaches a height of 120-150 cm.

Buzulnik jagged variety Desdemona

Othello with dark purple leaves and stems and dark orange inflorescences; Desdemona with orange inflorescences and lilac-brown petioles and leaves; Britt Marie Crawford is a compact variety about 80 cm high with bright yellow inflorescences, purple petioles and dark leaves, chocolate on top, purple below.

Buzulniks prefer fertile soils; regular spring feeding will not hurt them. The plants are durable, living in one place for 10-15 years.

Medium-sized plants are conveniently arranged in flower beds; they can be easily combined with each other and used for group planting.

Construction of a well or artificial reservoir

A well with a length of up to 1 m and a lower diameter of about 0.5 m and an upper diameter of 2 m will not only be an effective method of land reclamation, but also a decorative decoration of the site. Sand and crushed stone are poured onto its bottom.

An artificial pond will also be a great addition to the landscape. Water will accumulate in it and gradually begin to evaporate.

How to grow trees and shrubs in the shade

Plants that can survive and bear fruit in the shade are fighters in themselves. They are ready to withstand stress and not the most convenient growing conditions. But if raspberries planted along the north side of the house are capable of producing fairly large and juicy berries, then the same cannot be said about some others.

For example, white and red currants are, in principle, sunnier berries than blackberries and raspberries, and therefore they develop well in the sun and can wither without serious support in the shade. Therefore, if necessary, it can be planted in shaded areas, it will cope. However, currants, like a number of other shade-tolerant plants, will have to be helped.

On a note. That life in the shadows is a constant struggle for light, warmth, and existence. And in this struggle the plant may even die.

What affects the survival of plants in the shade?

First of all, they should not suffer from lack of moisture. Like other plants, shade-loving plants require the required amount of water; the soil should not be allowed to dry out, which can easily happen in the heat even on the northern shady side of the house. Moisture is especially necessary in late spring, with the onset of hot weather.
All shade plants must be fed. They are very dependent on feeding. Many people strive to feed their plantings with nitrogen fertilizers. This is where moderation and accuracy are needed: if there is a lack of sunlight, nitrogen must be given carefully, without excess. Otherwise, there is a danger that the plant will stretch out or become thickened.

Many novice gardeners are interested in what the soil should be like before planting a shade plant? Naturally, in this case, plants are even more demanding on the composition of the soil than under normal conditions. Therefore, when planting even such a completely unpretentious shrub as an ordinary garden viburnum, you need to see what kind of soil is optimal for it. In this case, viburnum needs a slightly acidic environment or neutral soil. At the same time, on poor, infertile soil or on peat soil, it will grow poorly and will not bloom.

Garden viburnum

Important! Before planting any plant or tree in the shade, soil compatibility should be checked. In shade conditions, the wrong choice can become an aggravating factor, which will lead to the death of the plant

When planting, you need to prepare the soil in advance. A feature of most plants that can grow in the shade is the abundance of surface roots. This means that the soil should not be heavy. On the contrary, the looser, lighter, more airy the top layer of soil is, the easier it will be for the plant to take root, the easier it will be for it to live in such difficult conditions. Loose soil will provide the surface roots of plants with better moisture absorption.

Note! At the same time, it is absolutely unacceptable for shady soil to be constantly waterlogged. High humidity, and also combined with plant density or overly compacted planting, can lead to diseases

Thus, both of these factors - the abundance of water and dense plantings - very often provoke the occurrence of garden diseases and pest damage.

As can be concluded from this article, you should not worry or be upset, considering that there are few open sunny places on your summer cottage. Even shady and dimly lit places can be used wisely, creatively and beneficially. Moreover, there are a sufficient number of different plants adapted for growing in conditions of partial shade and shade.

These plants, of course, will not surprise you with their yield, but they will produce a certain amount of fruit. They will also bring aesthetic pleasure to the gardener. Of course, with the correct agricultural technology for cultivating crops and their proper distribution on the site and relative to each other.

Trees that grow in water

Trees that grow in water

Not far from Anapa, almost immediately behind Bolshoy Utrish there is an amazing lake. A lake in which cypress trees grow. This lake is called Suko. Nearby is the village of the same name. There are several options for the origin of its name. Main version: “sukko” translated from Adyghe means “pond for pigs.” That's it, without all the romance, practical and down to earth.

How could cypress trees end up in a pond for animals? Science claims that these trees did not grow in Russia in the past - their homeland is North America.

How did 32 cypress trees grow in this area, which gave the second name to the Sukko reservoir? According to unofficial data, they were brought here and planted during experiments in the 30s of the last century. Oh these thirties - the years of great experiments, bold flights of thought... And since then the trees have taken root and have been here for more than 80 years. This happened thanks to the resinous wood. It does not allow rotting, and therefore these mighty trees are called “eternal”. Their height reaches 50 meters.

This is truly amazing. The serene surface of the lake and cypress trees growing out of the water and forming a semblance of green islands.

The lake is shallow and in the area of trees the water was just above the top of my head. I've never had to swim around trees doing some kind of slalom. Do you know how interesting it is to cling to a branch and climb up? And then, unclench your hands and splash into the warm, gentle water. Unforgettably! The guys are like that, hanging on a branch in bunches of bananas and screaming like a flock of banderlogs. Beauty!

Surprisingly, such a unique place is basically abandoned. The coastline is not equipped, there is no beach as such. And, strictly speaking, there is no entrance either. There is nothing. Does anyone need anything? Toilets, cafes, changing cabins - nothing... Is there anywhere else such a Miracle? I don't know. Strange, really7

But can this stop us from watching and enjoying? Never!

Conifers

Spruce could rightfully become a symbol of the North-West - it is so frost-resistant and unpretentious to growing conditions. Almost all spruce grows in waterlogged conditions, but not all of its cultivars. The variety of spruce trees for ornamental gardening is great, and if you solve the problem of water stagnation, then almost any Christmas tree will become a welcome guest in your garden. On heavy, damp clay soil, it will not develop as luxuriously as on fertile soil. But this factor can be turned into a plus by obtaining a compact plant shape. ()
Siberian larch (Larix sibirica) - undemanding to soils, grows successfully on calcareous, podzolic soils, chernozems, better on loams, poorly on sands. The soil mixture consists of leaf soil, peat and sand (3:2:1). Drainage only on heavy clays: broken brick with a layer of 20 cm. European larch (L. decidua) and Japanese larch (L. Kaempferi) have many compact decorative forms that are absolutely stable in our climatic conditions. ()
Juniper (Juniperus) - generally has low demands on fertility, but requires drainage and does not respond well to soil compaction. On heavy clays, the soil thaws late, creating unfavorable conditions that promote spring “burning.” This may not happen in the first or second year, but it will happen. Having decided to plant junipers in such conditions, you need to take care of shading your pets from the scorching spring sun. ()
Fir (Abies) – all firs are demanding in terms of soil richness, moisture and drainage. On damp soils it forms a superficial root system. Drainage is required on heavy soils. Balsam fir (Abies balsamea) – up to 8 m high, grows very slowly, is frost-resistant and shade-tolerant. Needles with two blue stripes. Prefers acidic soils. It has a dwarf form 'Nana' up to 50 cm high. Korean fir (Abies koreana) is a slow-growing tree up to 10 m high. The needles are bright green, whitish below. The purple cones that appear on young plants are very decorative. Likes soils that are acidic, but quite fertile. Varieties and cultivars are very decorative. Siberian fir (Abies sibirica) is the most famous representative of the genus, winter-hardy, shade-tolerant, begins to grow early in the spring and can be damaged by late spring frosts. ()
Pine (Pinus). Although pine trees are more associated with dunes and dry forests, some of them still do not disdain wet soils and even swamps. Mountain Weymouth pine (Pinus monticola) is a tree up to 30 m high. It prefers moist, open places. The needles are bluish-green with long needles. The cones adorn the tree due to their large size. Siberian pine pine (Pinus sibirica) is very decorative due to its powerful, dense crown. It grows relatively slowly. It is moisture-loving and shade-tolerant, tolerates moderate excess moisture, grows better on loamy, moist soils. ()
Western thuja (Thuja occidentalis) is a tree 12-20 m high, less commonly a shrub. The crown is pyramidal or ovoid, often descending to the ground. It grows along low-lying river banks, in swamps, and on moist, fertile loams. It is winter-hardy, shade-tolerant, but develops better and is more durable in good light. It has many garden forms differing in growth pattern, color and shape of needles. ()

Variety of moisture-loving flowers and shrubs

Before you improve your summer cottage with plants that grow in humid areas and tolerate dampness well, you need to understand their characteristics. Moisture-loving plants, examples of which are quite diverse, will allow you not to waste energy on work on draining the soil or rearranging the natural landscape.

Swamp Air

Favorite places of growth are swamps, rivers and lakes. You can also plant calamus in a country flower bed. The perennial plant grows from half a meter to a meter in length and has long narrow linear green leaves and greenish-yellow small flowers. Grows well in flooded areas provided it receives open sunlight.

An artificial variety of calamus, “Variegata,” has been specially bred. It differs from its wild counterpart in its smaller height and leaves with white stripes

The decorative specimen looks great in the front garden and attracts attention with its unusual appearance.

Thyroid Darmera and loosestrife

The perennial plant darmer is of decorative value from the moment of flowering until autumn, when its leaves acquire an orange tone. The flowers are pink, the leaves are large with purple spots. It blooms in April even before the leaves appear. Prefers partial shade, soil with varying levels of marshiness.

After flowering, flowering shoots should be trimmed. When they grow, the bushes are divided. The most famous variety is “Nanum”.

Loosestrife is a perennial plant, about 70 cm high. It grows in both shade and sunny places. It does not require shelter for the winter, because it is not afraid of the cold. The bush tends to grow strongly, so excess shoots need to be removed.

Favorable soil is moderate humidity, but loosestrife tolerates very moist soil well. Flowering lasts from May to August. Flowers are pink, yellow or white. When the bush fades, you need to cut off the flowering stems, then flowering will continue.

Swamp spurge

It grows up to 1.5 m high. It grows well in damp conditions and tolerates minor flooding. In site design, spurge is used as a background for other plants. It looks great together with marsh calamus, tulips or reed grass.

Marigold and meadowsweet

A common plant in landscape design. The appearance is characterized by large rounded leaves, thick stems 15 to 70 cm high with bright yellow flowers. The buds bloom in April. Many-petaled, swamp and fiddlehead marigolds are often found in flower beds.

Meadowsweet or meadowsweet prefers marshy areas. In the first month it already blooms. The flowers are pink or white with a pleasant aroma. The leaves are wide and feathery. The perennial plant reaches one meter in height and does not grow due to its small root system.

After flowering, the buds are cut off; replanting is required every 5 years.

Swamp Rose

Another name for swamp rose is Pennsylvania, because it comes from North America. The shrub reaches a height of 2 meters and has tall, spreading stems. In its natural environment it is found in ravines and swampy areas. It grows very quickly. Grows in sunny and semi-shady places.

The stems are purple-red with many thorns. Leaves with toothed edges. The flowers are collected in small inflorescences, which give the plant grace. The flowering period of roses is July - August. During this time, the color of the flowers changes from pink to fiery orange. The flowers emit a pleasant aroma.

To prevent the charming flower from dying, constant care is required. It requires the removal of young shoots and annual pruning of old branches.

The rose is used as a beautifully blooming accent in decorating a flower bed.

Himalayan honeysuckle

This shrub is undemanding to growing conditions. Honeysuckle is suitable for decorating gazebos and alleys. The flowering period is from late May to mid-June. After flowering, a poisonous fruit is formed. Of the entire variety of varieties, only the fruits of edible, Kamchatka and Altai honeysuckle are eaten.

Which species love moist soil?

Crops that are not suitable for excessive soil moisture include: pears, apricots, apple trees, spruce trees, and cedars. Moisture-loving fruit trees and shrubs for the garden: birch, willow, serviceberry, elderberry, cherry, sea buckthorn, viburnum, raspberry, currant, chokeberry, plum.

Plum moisture-loving fruit tree

The optimal depth at which groundwater lies for different types of fruit trees varies. Thus, the cultivation of pome trees (pears, apple trees) should be done on soils where groundwater lies no closer than 3 meters. When the soil is moist, seed-bearing species are selected with properties such as high frost resistance and low stature. Apple trees grafted onto rowan or quince rootstocks are better suited for such soils. These species are known as dwarf. Their difference from tall crops is that low-growing species grow well on soils with shallow groundwater (nearby water is at a depth of 1.5 meters).

Stone fruits (sloes, cherries) grow on soils where water levels are at 1.5-2 meters. At levels above this level, plant roots fall into the water and die, and the tops of plants begin to dry out.

On a note! Which fruit trees like moist soil? Fruit trees that are not afraid of dampness include quince, plum, and dwarf apple tree.

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Here it is, the road leading to the Miracle... Probably, the more interesting this Miracle is, the more difficult the road to it...

After all, only in a fairy tale of gold does the fish immediately fall into the net, and the magic Pike into the bucket.

And we still have a lot of interesting and beautiful things ahead. Come and let's admire the beautiful world we live in together!

Trees

Gray alder (Alnus incana)

One of the most moisture-tolerant plants is alder, which is a tree about 6 meters high and has decorative value. Hanging branches look very beautiful, contrasting with other inhabitants of the garden. For small areas, you should look out for dwarf species. Among the abundance of forms, a special place is occupied by bush varieties, the leaves of which can be, for example, golden (Aurea variety). Alder Laciniata would be an excellent option. She will delight you with her openwork crown.

White willow (Salix alba)

A weeping willow would look appropriate on any site. If desired, it can be formed into a bush or given freedom, and it grows into an ordinary tree. Today there are about 600 species of plants. For small areas, dwarf varieties that reach a meter in height are suitable. Weeping willow is one of the best trees that drain the soil and plays a decorative role.

One of the favorite places for this plant is moist soils and areas near water bodies.

When planning to plant a tree, you should pay attention to the white willow; the garden species Tristis, a tree with hanging branches, is popular. The culture reaches a height of 15 m, but there are also lower varieties

A plant with a spherical crown and dark green leaves with a whitish coating. The peak of decorativeness occurs in May, when it blooms with yellow-green seals.

In addition, varieties with silver leaves (Sericea) or shoots painted red (Chermesina) look very beautiful. But this option is not suitable for small areas; trees need a lot of space.

For a summer house, the best option would be the purple Nana look. This tree has a semicircular crown with a diameter of about 2 m, with a spherical crown. Beautiful numerous thin branches of a reddish color stand out against the background of other plants. The peak of decorativeness occurs at the end of March, when the purple tree blooms with catkins with brown anthers. Tolerates low temperatures well. The tree is good at trimming its crown; if desired, you can give it any shape. In addition, Nana willow is suitable for creating decorative figures or as a hedge.

Ash-leaved lapina (Pterocarya fraxinifolia)

Pterocaria, which grows in areas with close groundwater, takes root very well in flooded areas. It will be an ideal option where other plants do not take root. Has a decorative appearance. Its color lies in the large feathery leaves, the inflorescences in the form of earrings hang beautifully, giving the plant a special elegance. Earrings up to half a meter long, emerald in color, resemble a green waterfall. The tree grows about 15 m tall with a wide-cylindrical crown and a powerful root system. Pterokaria tolerates low temperatures well. It belongs to long-lived plants, since individual specimens can live up to 230 years. The winged nut-shaped fruits are edible.

Hydrangea

A shrub whose scientific name speaks of its love of water. Unassuming tree hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens) and paniculata (Hydrangea paniculata) have long settled in our gardens; lovers can decorate the garden with luxurious modern varieties with lush pink, purple, lemon inflorescences.

The rare Bretschneider hydrangea (Hydrangea bretschneiderii) is distinguished by a strong, compact bush about 2 m high and large, sparsely spaced white inflorescences that turn pink towards the end of flowering. This species has proven itself well in the central zone of our country.

Three colors of hydrangea. How to choose and effectively place seedlings in the garden Read more

Deciduous hedge

Even if the leaves do not stay on the plant all year round, this is not a reason to refuse to plant it. Among the perennial shrubs there are many specimens that shed their plumage for the winter, but this does not mean that they quickly lose their attractiveness. Many plants have decorative not only leaves, but also fruits, which are often preserved on the branches in late autumn and even winter.

Ornamental trees and shrubs with beautiful fruits for the autumn garden 14 attractive plants that are most decorative in the fall thanks to their bright fruits.

Among trees and shrubs with attractive fruits, not everyone likes wet soils. However, some plants will not be destroyed by stagnant water. These are, for example:

chokeberry,
European euonymus,
hawthorn (prickly, large-thorned, single-stone, pinnately cut, Siberian, spur),
elderberry (Canadian, cluster, black),
honeysuckle (Korolkova, common, blue),
common viburnum,
cinnamon rose (rose hips).

Viburnum grows best in a damp area

Lovers of flowering plants will appreciate shrubs, which in spring or summer are densely strewn with spectacular inflorescences. Can tolerate high humidity:

weigela (Middendorf, early, blooming),
hydrangea (tree-like, paniculate),
Louiseania triloba (or almond triloba),
deciduous rhododendron (yellow, Kamchatka, Canadian, Japanese),
mountain ash,
spirea (birch leaf, Bumalda, Douglas, Nippon, lilac, Japanese),
forsythia (drooping, intermediate),
chaenomeles (Maulea, Japanese),
mock orange (crown, Lemoine, small-leaved, common).

A hedge of blooming forsythia in spring leaves no one indifferent

A hedge of spirea Wangutta is also good during flowering

A hydrangea hedge will delight you with flowering from spring to autumn

And so that the garden does not look too colorful, these bright plants can be “diluted” with unpretentious common trees. Plant rough elm, willow (Caspian, brittle, purple), maple (riverine, ash-leaved), linden (Amur, Manchurian, small-leaved).

An autumn hedge made of small-leaved linden looks modest, but at the same time elegant

If you have already decided on the choice of plants for your site, but do not know how to make a hedge out of them yourself, read our articles:

Planting and forming a hedge
Rules for planting hedges

Planting vegetation

You can plant moisture-loving trees on the site. It is necessary to choose plants with fibrous roots - willow, birch, maple. Decorative hedges made of shrubs will also help. Hawthorn, rosehip, serviceberry, and spirea are suitable. You can also grow beds with cranberries, viburnum or blueberries.

Often the opposite task arises - to remove plants that grow in such an area. We are talking about sedge and reeds. It will not be enough to drain the area; it is necessary to remove the powerful root system. To do this, the soil is opened to great depth. Then you will need to remove all the roots and fill the hole with roofing felt.

These methods have varying degrees of effectiveness and are often used in combination. If the problem cannot be resolved with your own hands, then you should hire specialists who will quickly pump out the moisture. However, over time the problem may return.

Moisture-loving perennial flowers and herbs for a sunny place:

Buzulnik (Ligularia); Valerian officinalis (Valeriana officinalis); Loosestrife (Lysimachia); Blood-red heuchera (Heuchera sanguinea); marsh geranium (Geranium palustre); forest geranium (Geranium silvaticum); Swamp gladiolus (Gladiolus palustris); Snake knotweed (Polygonum bistorta); Willow loosestrife (Lýthrum salicária); Reed grass (Phalaroides arundinacea); Yellow or swamp iris (Íris pseudácorus); Smooth iris (Iris laevigata); Multi-colored iris (Iris versicolor); Siberian iris (Iris sibirica); Marigold (Caltha); Burnet (Sanguisorba);

Bathhouse (Trollius); Meadowsweet, or meadowsweet (Filipendula); Brown-yellow daylily (Hemerocallis fulva); Lychnis, or cuckoo flower (Lychnis flos-cuculi); Blue Lobelia (Lobelia syphilitica); Buttercup (Ranunculus acris); Soft mantle (Alchemilla mollis); Large manna (Glyceria maxima); Miscanthus; Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea);

Forget-me-not (Myosotis); Drooping sedge (Carex flacca); Sedum (Eupatórium);
Common lumbago (Pulsatilla vulgaris)
Kamchatka hazel grouse (Fritillaria camschatcensis); Checkered hazel grouse (Fritillaria meleagris); Swamp violet (Viola palustris);
Fragrant violet (Viola odorata);
Heart-leaved violet (Houttuynia cordata); Blackhead (Prunella).