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Perennials for Moist Soil A to G

© Jojo Sigurgeirson

Anyone with a boggy situation in their garden knows that it can be difficult to find suitable plants for it. Most plants don't like to have wet feet year-round, but there are some that work well even in the most boggy of situations.

Following you will find a list of good, hardy plants for moist sites. I have tried all of these myself and am very happy with them.

Here are some special tips for gardeners dealing with wet soil

• Avoid walking on wet soil. You will find it compacts and prevents the soil from breathing properly. To work over an area that is moist, always place a board over where you are to walk or kneel. This will help spread your weight over a larger area, thus preventing compaction.
• Consider lightening your soil. If your wet area is small and you'd rather it was not so moist, a simple drain tile under the area, coupled with adding lightening ingredients to your soil, can solve a small problem. Lightening ingredients include sand if the present soil is clay, and organic matter such as manure or compost.
• Wet soil is often acidic. If you've tried growing all kinds of plants to no avail, consider testing the soil for acidity/alkalinity, also known as pH. If you soil turns out to be acidic, or under 6 on the pH scale, you can use dolomite lime to bring the pH up to a more normal level.

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Plants with a beside them are good in the sun

Plants with a beside them like partial shade

Plants with a beside them prefer shade

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ACONITUM - It should first be mentioned that these are poisonous. The rest of the plants attibutes are good however, so they should be considered if there are no small children eating plants in your garden. They look a bit like a sophisticated delphinium, except they grow in shade or partial shade, and they like moist soil. Even in borderline boggy sites, these can do well. Read more about them HERE.

ACORUS calamus has duel uses in the garden. It grows in moist soil to ponds and lakesides, bears very nice grassy leaves like an iris, a fairly insignificant but interesting flower, and provides aromatic foliage. The leaves are long-lasting but not evergreen, to about 1 metre (3 feet) tall. Oil of Calamus is extracted from the leaves and roots, and the dried, pulverized root is used as a fixitive for scented stuff like pooh-pooh-ree. There is a variegated variety as well.