Do you struggle with wet, boggy areas in your landscape? Don’t think of this as a troublesome spot to dry out, but rather as an opportunity to get creative. Our designers can visualize many options for what your landscape can become. How about a dry creek bed, rain garden, bog planting, or even a koi pond? If handled correctly, that ugly wet spot can be a blooming oasis or better yet, a focal point in your landscape. Many of these areas can be addressed simply by adding plants, but plant selection is key. Here are a few options for plants that can handle wet feet to get you started. Let your imagination go from there!
Annuals and Tropical Plants
All of these examples will thrive being planted directly into water. Annuals provide various shapes and colors of foliage, and they tend to grow very quickly, creating large impact. Many gardeners will often plant the larger annuals in a pot, then place that pot into the ground. This way at the end of the year they can be cut back and brought inside for winter.
- Papyrus
- Canna
- Water Hyacinth
- Water Lettuce
- Elephant Ear
Shrubs
Add great structure and size to any wet areas with shrubs. Their roots create stabilization for areas that tend to erode and add winter interest to bleak landscapes.
- Winterberry
- Red Twig Dogwood
- Rough Leaf Dogwood
- Button Bush
- Sweet Shrub
Trees
There are several trees that will thrive in wet, boggy areas. They can also provide shade which cools the temperature of the water and reduces algae growth. Also keep in mind that evergreens aren’t an option because they can’t handle wet conditions.
- Bald Cypress
- Pond Cypress
- Willow
- Black Gum
- River Birch
Perennials
There is a large selection of perennials that work well in saturated areas, or areas that are flooded for short periods of time. As a bonus, pollinators appreciate these plants because of their diverse assortment of blooms.
- Swamp Milkweed
- Perennial Hibiscus
- Sedges
- Monkey Flower
- Cardinal Flower
- Iris
- Ferns
- Prairie Cord Grass
So, if you have a wet area you struggle to deal with, get creative and turn it into an asset. Use these helpful plant ideas to create some year-round interest in the damp portions of your yard. Come meet with any of our landscape designers or come out to our garden center to see which options will work best for you.
