Can my puddle be planted?

8 years ago

I live at the Container Gardening forum. I'm a total newby with growing in water. My question: I'm in 5b, Northeastern Ohio. A couple of weeks ago, I got tired of my patch of soggy grass and had it removed. Now I have a standing puddle approx 12'x15' x about 4”. Judging by the history of the grass, it's always there, no matter what. Never dries up. In winter, it freezes.

Technically speaking, is it a bog? Or is it just a big puddle?

My idea is to first plant a few paver fragments for stepping and a chair or two, then maybe a layer of river rocks, then an oxygenator. I know Parrot's Feather is invasive, but I think it's pretty and it will be completely hemmed in by the surrounding lawn.

Finally, Yellow Flag iris and Luna Red hibiscus.

Can my idea work? If not, is there anything I can do to make it work?

Thanks very much for considering my question.

Bernard

Featured Answer

catherinet

8 years ago

last modified: 8 years ago

Is it just a low area in your yard? Is there run-off from anywhere? I'm thinking if you think it's a healthy area, you might consider digging it a little deeper. I'm not sure 4" is deep enough from some of those plants. Hopefully others will give their opinion. Another possibility is that you add soil to it and plant plants that require a slightly wet soil.

I do like swamps........but I don't know if you would like that in your back yard. It would be great for attracting frogs, dragonflies, etc. Plus, you would need to thin it every so often because a lot of water plants are very aggressive.

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Comments (6)

bernard_in_ohio_Medina_Zone_5b
Original Author
8 years ago
Forgot to say: No fish, of course.
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bernard_in_ohio_Medina_Zone_5b
Original Author
8 years ago
Thank you for answering me! Yes, it is
a low area at the bottom of steps leading away from the elevated
stone terrace. It was a soggy spot before the terrace was installed
and remains so. I'm not sure where the water is coming from. I
suppose it's runoff, but I'm not positive from where, exactly. The
contractor who installed the terrace said there might be a spring
under there. If there is, it's pretty feeble. That water is just
sitting there. Maybe it's seeping upward at a rate that matches the
rate of evaporation? Maybe it has something to do with the creek
continuously running along the border of my yard. Maybe it's a
combination of a lot of factors. I'm sure it's not a symptom of some
systemic problem, as it's been behaving the same way for years with
no ill effects discernable anywhere

I just had the grass removed from the
soggy area and a bit beyond, fixing a miscalculation by the
contractor. I'm sure the wet patch is healthy – no surface scum or
funny smells As for digging it deeper, my philosophy is to keep
projects cheap and easy. I just sent away for 15 Yellow Flag iris
rhizomes and a handful of Red Luna hibiscus seeds. I'll plant the
rhizomes and sprout the seeds in perlite, plant them, and see what
happens. According to everything I've read, I have just the right
environment for them. If they live, wonderful, If not, I'll do
something else.

I like swamps, too. The bugs don't
bother me. Dragonflies are beautiful. I don't mind cutting back
overly vigorous growth.

Do you have any tips on planting the
iris rhizomes? I intend to let the hibiscus grow a few leaves and
then put them in. Good? Bad? I'm thinking of putting a layer of
river rocks at the bottom of the puddle, mainly for aesthetic value.
Is that advisable?

Again, thanks for writing.
Debbie Downer
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Theres a whole genre of gardening called rain gardens - low areas that collect rain and make use of the moisture without being a full fledged bog. I think theres a gardenweb forum for that - if not there ought to be!

edta apparently no gw forum for rain gardens, nor does googling yield much. Must be a WI thing - this has lists of plants + pics: https://www.cityofmadison.com/engineering/stormwater/raingardens/

There is a bog garden forum on gw though - if you want to go bog!
bernard_in_ohio_Medina_Zone_5b thanked Debbie Downer
bernard_in_ohio_Medina_Zone_5b
Original Author
8 years ago
Hello -- Thanks for writing. I think bogs are wetter more consistently than what I have... and are acid. Haven't measured pH yet, but I'll stick my meter in the ground today.

I was wrong when I said there was no scum. There is, a little. But up to a couple of days ago, the area was all soggy grass, so it hasn't time to go completely natural on its own.

I can't find specific tips on planting iris rhizomes or hibiscus seedlings. Maybe they'll come with good instructions. I'm thinking I'll plant the iris after dusk. The mercury is rising and I don't want the rhizomes to cook.

I only started doing any gardening whatsoever in 2013, so I'm still a beginner. I used to obsess over every little detail. No longer. Now I just read up, do the best I can, and go ahead and plant. I've never planted iris or hibiscus before. If they don't work out, I'm sure I'll have learned something, so the net result will be far better than failure. If big spheres of grass are really the best choice -- well, they're beautiful, too.
catherinet
8 years ago
I don't know much about hibiscus, but the yellow flags should be good. Just stick them in the wet ground. You might have a million before you know it. haha I find that most plants that like water really spread out. I put one or 2 in my little lotus bog and I had to remove them, as they started to take over. But if yours get out of hand, just yank some of them out. You know the flowers don't last very long, right? I found this link that you might not want to see. haha Some states don't allow certain water plants, because of their aggressiveness. They sure are pretty though.

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/bulbs/iris/yellow-flag-iris-control.htm

(I would never use chemicals on them.........just pull them out but be careful they don't end up in water somewhere else)>