Thanks to climate change, we expect to see a lot more extreme weather in the coming years. While we can expect more hot, droughty summers, heavy downpours of rain are also becoming more common, which is why garden experts have revealed the five shrubs that can help flood-proof your garden.
Anyone who has a naturally boggy garden, or a garden that is prone to flooding, knows how the best flood-proof plants can make your garden look like a beautiful oasis. Plus, when you have plants that can help prevent flooding in your beds, you are using your garden as an excellent line of defence against flooding.
The following five flood-proof plants will continue to look fabulous, even when your garden is a boggy, wet mess. They’re also recommended as they are great for sucking up excess rainwater from the soil, which can help alleviate the effects of flooding.
1. Sweetspire
Sweetspire is an evergreen shrub that thrives in chalk, clay or sandy soil, making it naturally well-suited to wet conditions.
‘Sweetspire is particularly useful because it copes well with wet conditions while still providing plenty of ornamental value. In summer, it produces elegant, fragrant white flowers that attract pollinators, while its foliage turns rich shades of orange and red in autumn. It’s a great example of a shrub that doesn’t just survive in challenging conditions, but genuinely performs well in them,’ explains Peter Mortin, garden expert at Crane Garden Buildings.
Where to buy sweetspire
2. Guelder rose
This upright shrub produces stunning autumn colour, as well as being an optimum choice for a woodland garden. It thrives in wet soil, and as it produces fragrant blossoms in spring and summer and red berries in autumn, garden wildlife love it.
‘Guelder rose is good for flood-prone gardens because the plant naturally thrives in damp woodlands or by riversides. It copes well with damp ground and temporary flooding, and it can also be highly resilient during dry spells. Even though it can tolerate waterlogged soil, it is best to plant Guelder rose when it is dormant so that the roots can establish before any heavy flooding,’ says Richard Barker, horticultural expert and commercial director of LBS Horticulture.
Where to buy guelder rose
3. Dogwood
Dogwood is one of the best shrubs for wet soil. Not to mention its stunning pink, red and orange spires that will fill your garden with pretty colour, even when it is raining.
‘Red twig dogwood is one of my top recommendations for gardens that regularly become waterlogged. Many shrubs can tolerate damp conditions, but dogwood actively thrives in them. The real benefit comes in winter, when its vivid red stems create a striking display at a time when most gardens can look quite flat and colourless. If you’ve got an area that turns into a bog after heavy rain, this is one shrub that will genuinely thank you for it,’ says Peter.
Where to buy dogwood
4. Winterberry
Not only does winterberry thrive in wet conditions, but its berries can also help feed birds over winter, making it a great choice for any wildlife garden.
‘Winterberry is a great choice for a flood-prone garden, as it is native to wetlands and swampy locations. It thrives in wet, heavy soil and is better at handling standing water than other shrubs. Although the plant loves water, it is best to plant it on a slight mound or raise the planting area to help it establish in a wet location,’ says Richard.
Where to buy winterberry
5. Purple Willow
Purple willow is a pollinator plant, meaning it will attract lots of bees, birds and butterflies to your garden. It has soft blue-green leaves and can grow up to five meters in height.
‘Purple willow is a brilliant choice for wetter gardens because it naturally grows alongside rivers and streams. It’s incredibly resilient in damp conditions and brings a softer, more natural look to the garden than some traditional ornamental shrubs. As rainfall becomes increasingly unpredictable, plants that are adapted to cope with periods of flooding are becoming far more valuable in UK gardens,’ says Peter.
Where to buy purple willow
Just because you have a boggy or flood-prone garden, you don’t have to compromise on style. These stunning shrubs will not only make your garden look good, but support it, too.
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