I think my plants are drowning!

When is it ever going to stop raining??? I planted lots of plants out a few weeks ago on that day it didnt rain and i they are struggling!! I have bought a couple of them into the house as they were not looking very happy as the ground was just so wet and they were so tiny i feared they may have rotted if they stayed where they were. fingers crossed it will be nice next weekend

 

I took down the hanging baskets of pansies because of the wind and put them on the garden table which is fairly sheltered. The rain has filled them up to the brim and overflowing! Should have left them where they were! :D

 

Wet wet wet! More rain over the last few days than during the entire winter. Most things coping well though and my ostrich feather ferns just love it. I bought just one several years ago but they have spread well. I cut off some of the offsets and plant them elsewhere. They are doing well in the wettest parts of the woodland garden. Happy in shade, but will cope with sun if the soil doesn't dry out. Pest free of course and slugs don't touch 'em.

 

O/T sorry!

Hornheam, ostrich fern, is one of my favourite plants (they make such a lovely background)and I would love to have some near my workshop which would be on the northside, so shady.

Problem being ground would be fairly dry, so has always put me off!

As they grow so tall, do the roots go down deep, I'm thinking perhaps a future project would be to create a sort of bog garden with a liner in the ground so it wouldn't need to much watering. What do you think?

 

I like the ferns hornbeam...i will make a note and get one..they would fit in well with my scheme..and dont mention rain...i have loads of things flat on the ground..and my dog roses washed away...

 

Hornbeam,they look lucious.

 

No the roots are not too deep and they spread underground by runners a bit like bracken but never a problem. The ones in the photo are by my garage and get extra water from rain water from the roof. I do have a water butt, but when that overflows, the ferns get the benefit. The gardening books tell us that they like water retentive soil that is well drained (I never understand that contradiction!) They do like organic material in the soil, but not chemical fertilisers that would make them grow soft and sappy. I just leave them alone, cut back dead fronds in the autumn and divide them up when they begin to crowd each other. You can move them when they are dormant from autumn to spring, but not when they are active

 

Very encouraging hornbeam as I have just planted a new fern bed. Two came from our local tip - lovely big plants, but don't know what they are, I got 3 on offer from Parkers and one ? which I picked up from not sure. I have inter planted with Henrii lilly and my Arisaema is going in there too so could look quite creepy!

 

These ferns look great as single specimen plants too. This one was cut off and moved in April just as it was starting to unfurl its fronds.

I took it from the bed in the other photo as it was just about full of them. I have planted this one and others along a shady problem border caused by my neighbours erecting that fence. They look a bit like green guardsman on parade all along the drive! This is a bit of a gamble because it is going to be dry shade in the summer. I have dug in garden compost and some of those water retaining crystals for hanging baskets. We'll see what happens. Good to take a gamble sometimes. Win some, lose some! :D

 

another plant for my shopping list - they are beautiful!! Such an intense green