BigBill said:You won't get much to grow unless you improve the soil. A drastic over haul is needed. Just how many square feet is the bed?
Arico said:
Iris sibirica, ensata (if moist at all times as you say)
EmilyEm said:Hi! I'm an apartment dweller in Oregon. I've been growing some native plants in the large bed next to my front door, with limited success. Although this bed gets full sun, its clay soil is very damp. In fact, it's sprouted mushrooms in places.
My neighbor has hydrangeas that are thriving in this soil. I've got a camellia bush that's doing well as well as a happy copper beech bush, excited borage, a thrilled fern, and some thriving bulbs coming up.
I also planted heuchera, kinnikinnick, butterfly bush, and evergreen huckleberry. (Yes, I know this is a lot and perhaps aesthetically questionable, but I'm trying to help birds, butterflies, and bees.) The heuchera has all but died, even though it supposedly loves clay, as has the butterfly bush. The evergreen huckleberry and kinnikinnick are alive, but they haven't grown in months.
I think the plants are dying because of the dampness, but I'm not sure. I'm in Zone 8/9. I'm wondering what I can plant in this bed that will flourish. My preference is for native plants, or at least plants that are helpful to butterflies, songbirds, etc. Any advice would be heartily appreciated!
HeatherH444 said:I would think that if you are allowed to plant in this spot, which means you have certain " rights" to the area, ( if you are allowed to plant in that spot,you gotta dig a little)that you could dig out some of that clay,shovel it into a bucket or bag and replace it with topsoil, soil conditioner and compost. A large bag of each mixed into the clay would drastically improve the growing areas soil and ability to grow different plants