There was many a well-drained garden that last year turned into a bog due to heavy rainfall. Most plants simply drowned, their roots starved of air. So, as we begin to think about spring planting and garden design for the new year, it’s a good moment to consider plants that will survive in damp, boggy soil.
Osmunda regalis — royal fern
Osmunda can live for 100 years or more, making an ever bigger clump, but even in youth it is one of the most beautiful ferns, especially ‘Purpurascens’, whose elegant crosiers have a purple bloom as they unroll. Happy in seriously boggy soil, but it should be acid, not limey; height 4ft.
Primula denticulata — drumstick primula
Nothing could be easier to grow than the