When life gives you waterlogged clay soil, rabbits, and deer, plant Rose Mallow, Cardinal Flower, Blue Lobelia, Obedient plants, Milkweed, Blazing Star, and Joe Pye.

by soverylucky

18 Comments

  1. LobeliaTheCardinalis

    This is so well done! A wet marshy garden area would be a dream to me because I love these kind of plants, but only have a mesic soil where they need extra watering to thrive. Fantastic use of “the right plant in the right place!”

  2. thesteveyo

    I have all but one of those plants growing in my perma-swamp! Hoping my adjacent button bush will take off next year as well. Love all of my summertime pollinator visitors.

  3. Legal-Aardvark6416

    So gorgeous. I can never get cardinal flower to grow back and I love it so much

    – from my dry, crispy yard

    Ps are those cosmos on the right? I love the softness of them!

  4. quartzion_55

    You should toss a little partridge pea (or a nitrogen fixing perennial) in there too to help build the soil quality! As an added benefit it is a pollinator favorite!

  5. run_daffodil

    This is beauty!!

    Beware: the deer ate all our swamp rose mallow last night. We are GUTTED.

  6. This is so beautiful. I wish I could keep the deer from eating my Joe Pye but they seem to love it in my yard and I rarely actually get to see it bloom.

  7. beerandgardening

    I want to become a butterfly and live in your garden.

  8. Chickwithknives

    I think I’d leave out the obedient plant. I planted one and it was a major bully, keep an eye on it.

    I’d recommend considering purple prairie clover, blue flag iris, and one or more of the several varieties of Liatris (blazing star).

  9. greenghostburner

    Deer ate all my Joe Pye, Cardinal and Lobelia. Wish there were more natives they don’t touch. So far really only having luck with bee balm, mountain mint, milkweed and mist flower. Everything else I put gets devoured

  10. captain_chickadee

    Beautiful! I’ve also had good success with cardinal flower and blue lobelia in gross wet clay soil. This is extremely helpful to know those other plants thrive in those tough conditions! Can I ask what sort of sun this area gets? My spot is pretty shady.

  11. GreenHeronVA

    This is really beautiful, you should be very proud ❤️

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