which flowers thrive best in clay soil?

Answer 1

Roses do well in clay soil.

Answer 2

If it is possible add some organic matter to your soil or Gypsum( clay breaker) to open it up a little and create more pore space to the soil of the areas you want to plant out as the problem with clay soil is that it holds onto nutrients and this stops the growth of most plants especially flowering annuals and perennials.
Most bulbs will survive in clay soils, eg Daffodils etc but not knowing where you live is hard to even try to suggest anything.

Answer 3

If you add compost & topsoil, these are just some of the plants that will do fine in clay soil: Roses, Rose of Sharons, Irises, Kerria, Daffodils, Tulips, Forsynia, Tickseed, Ice Plants, Sedium, Glads, Impatiens, Cannas, Aster ,Liatris, Rudbeckias, Monarda , Echinacea purpurea, Solidago rigida, Queen of the Prairie, Catmint, Daylilies,Russian Sage, Blanket Flower,Veronica, Agastache,Phlox, Shasta Daisy, Sweet William,Scabiosa, Yucca, Yarrow, Asclepia, Lily of the Valley, Dianthus,Bleeding Hearts, Astilbes, Balloon flowers,Butterfly bush, Joe Pye Weed, Hydrangeas, Hostas, Columbine & silver mound (artmesia).

You need to make sure there is good drainage for anything to grow in clay soil.

Here's a site that discusses which plants have done well in clay soil for gardenforum members:
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/difficult/msg051915204879.html
Good luck! Hope this helps.

Answer 4

If you add some compost, clay will grow many flowers and bushes very well. I grew coral bells, hosts, peonies, poppies, any spring bulbs I wanted, any annuals from seeds that I planted, hollyhocksand lilies of many sorts. For bushes we had roses, potentilla, burning bushes, forsythia and evergreens. The soil won't drain as quickly, so you'll need to build up your gardens to allow the water to drain away to lower spots in the yard.

Answer 5

Roses do terribly in clay soil... they need soil enriched with peat and compost.
Try Daisies, mums, lilies, Live- Forever, Russian sage.

Answer 6

Try hardy hibiscus, poppies, forsythia, honeysuckle,roses,ornamental grasses, sunflowers, morning glories, cosmos, marigolds, datura,catmint, cat thyme,coreopsis,rudbeckias, Mexican hat, Boxwoods, Obedient plant, ajuga, vinca, hiacynth bean vine, dame's rocket, spirea,daylilies,Iris.
Good drainage is probably the trick rather than amending soil with any humus or manure.
The soil does get worse when left to dry out, so watering is necessary when starting things from seed to make sure they germinate before drying out.

Answer 7

I live in Oklahoma, the land of clay soil. What's in my yard? (These aren't my photos, but are good examples of what I have!)

1. Orange daylilies. Partial to full sun. Perennial. http://www.bintgoddess.com/plantpics/orange_daylily.jpg. Drought resistant once established. Will spread.

2. Monkey grass, mondo grass, liriope. Shade, sun. Perennial. Spreads. Different colored flower spikes according to variety. http://forum.garten-pur.de/attachments/Liriope_muscari_2005-09-11.JPG

3. Chocolate mint plant. Partial to full sun. Aggressive, invasive; plant in its own bed. Returns every spring. Smells so good! http://www.flickr.com/photos/paperseed/475723236/

4. Spearmint plant. Same instructions as chocolate mint plant. http://www.flickr.com/photos/chavala/141800682/

5. Dianthus (pinks, Sweet William). Annual, but may return if winters are mild. http://mykesweblog.blogs.com/photos/photos_for_pat_hite/pink_dianthus_1_20040501_.jpg. Many different colors. Full sun.

6. Chrysanthemums. Mine are white, like these http://www.flickr.com/photos/greenelfmom/306298219/. Full to partial sun. Will spread. Tolerates drought once established.

7. Shasta daisy. http://www.savvygardener.com/photos/images/becky_shasta-daisy.jpg. Partial sun; needs shade from hot afternoon sun. Does require daily watering in dry weather. Will spread.

8. Iris. Many varieties and colors. http://www.blossomswap.com/images/flower-pictures/iris.jpg. Full sun. Will spread.

It is good, if you have clay soil, to add a handful of organic material (I use rotted cow manure!) to the planting hole. Always mulch around your plants to conserve water.

If you are planting in a small area, you would benefit from tilling (digging up) the soil and amending it with compost or other organic material. Proper preparation of a flowerbed will assure your plants thrive, that you don't need to fertilize, and will decrease your watering frequency.

Answer 8

Anemone - trouble free too

Answer 9

CACTUS, MARIGOLDS, MINT, VIOLETS

Answer 10

CAULIFLOWERS