Need gardening help!?

Question

What perenniels grow best in clay? Also flowering shrubs. New house and need to do lots of lanscaping.

Answer 1

Not a whole lot grows well in clay. You would do best if you tilled the area, added loam and then covered with compost. Clay creates what is known as a "perch." The water will accumulate and not drain out of the soil. When this happens, most plants will develop root rot and die. Most perennials put down deep root and so do most shrubs. You really must consider tilling and compost. You might be able to grow a number of annuals that have only fibrous root systems. If you can't amend your soil, go to a good nursery and inquire about plants that have only fibrous, not tap root systems. It is not a matter of selecting plants that like "clay" soil, the perch area will prevent the plants from gowing well. It will be worth the money rototil and add mulch rather than feel the failure of great plants dying off.

Answer 2

Alcea or Hollyhocks surprisingly grow well on clay soils

Amsonia should do well on clay

Anchusa is good once established and protected from slugs (slugs like damper soils and they love anchusa)

Anemone are excellent perennials for clay soils and will thrive and flower well on clay. The taller varieties are excellent

Asters will grow anywhere. Clay or concrete does not matter to this plant.

Bergenia should be fine.

Brunnera macrophylla should do well although I’m not sure about the newer hybrids – you’ll have to trial them.

Campanula the taller species do better than shorter, so do try C persificolia. You’ll find variations between varieties. ‘Loddon’s Pink apparently does well but “Telham Beauty’ is variable.

Chrysanthemum (Shasta Daisies) do well enough although they will be shorter-lived on clay than in well drained soils.

Coreopsis verticillata is the best in clay. Forget all others

Doronicum spring bloomer, one of the earliest of yellow daisies.

Digitalis or foxglove – scatter the seed and let nature take its course.

Echinops make good clay soil plants. These things will grow anywhere but in a closet.

Geranium: most of the geraniums will tolerate clay soils.

Helenium are very showy daisies and they will grow handsomely on clay soils

Helianthemum or perennial sunflowers will grow nicely (if it can be said that this plant ever grows “nicely”) :-)

Heliopsis is another of the perennial sunflowers and it too grows well.

Hellebore surprisingly enough are listed as surviving quite nicely.

Hemerocallis are great on clay. They do take a little longer to become established but can’t be killed.

Heuchera are great perennials for clay soils and this is a relief given the amount of semi-shaded clay around

Iris germanica or flag iris will grow on heavier ground although many of the species iris will not

Kniphofia will tolerate clay.

Answer 3

If you clay doesn't drain, then hardly anything. Of course you should be making the effort to prepare the soil completely by adding organic matter such as compost or peat moss throughout the perennial bed. Dig as deep as your back will allow. Are you familiar with the term double digging?

For shadier moist areas try Valerian, Thermopsis, Mondarda, Columbines, Asclepias, Mertensia.

For sunnier areas I've had luck with so many: Yarrow, Mondara (same as above), Yarrows such as Coronation Gold but not Moonshine (it likes it drier), Daylilies, Shasta daisies, Phlox, Peony, Delphinium, Columbines, Oriental poppies, blue flax .....gosh.....oh so many. The ornamental grasses have done well especially Maiden grass.

Unless your soil is high in salts or sodden most of the time......your soil prep will overcome a lot of problems.

Keep a mulch over the top to keep the top layer from drying into a hard brick, that helps......and limit your walking on the soil.....use stepping stones.

Answer 4

Most anything really. Just throw some gypsum on the clay and mix in some organic matter such as compost or top soil.

Actually clay isn't as bad as everyone makes it out to be. It actually will hold water better (meaning you have to water less) and it has a high CEC content, meaning it can hold nutrients well. Adding the gypsum to it will help a lot.

Answer 5

The fact that it's a new house tells me your soil is probably compacted by construction machinery. bring in a few yards of topsoil and use that for planting. Try not to smother tree roots with it.