Garden Experiments
For the love of gardening and wildlife habitat
Find plants and flowers for gardens with wet or moist soils. Wet soils can be challenging to plant, but some plants like moist soils. Find the perfect one for your garden.
Common witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) is a unique, late-blooming shrub known for its striking, spidery yellow flowers that appear from late fall into early winter, as well as its amazing fall color. Beyond its aesthetic appeal, it offers significant benefits to local wildlife and a rich history as an herbal remedy and dowsing tool. About …
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Winterberry, Ilex verticillata, is a deciduous holly renowned for the stunning display of brilliant red berries (also called drupes) that last on bare branches throughout the winter months. This native shrub is not only a spectacular landscape feature but also provides crucial support for local wildlife. About Winterberry If you take a walk …
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Native Ironweed Feeds Butterflies in Late Summer In the mid to late summer, the deep purple flowers of ironweed start showing up. They stand out in the landscape, not just for the bright color but also because they are so tall. What caught my eye were the many butterflies that land on the flowers to feed. American ladies, monarchs, sulfur …
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Large, copper or brick-red colored flowers adorn the flower spikes of the copper iris (Iris fulva). Native to wetland areas, this unique plant thrives in wetter soils, making it an excellent addition to gardens with moist conditions. We planted this iris in our backyard in a spot with wet, clay soils. It has flourished, spreading and producing …
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In late summer, pockets of lavender color begin to appear along the sides of roads, at the edge of streams, in old fields, and in wetlands or other moist-soil areas. These fuzzy lavender-colored flowers belong to the blue mistflower, also known as wild ageratum, a plant native to the central and southeastern U.S. Adding blue mistflower …
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In the middle of summer, the bright yellow, showy flowers of swamp sunflower light up my garden. This perennial's flowers keep blooming into the fall. It’s late October, and I still have bright yellow flowers that add some fall color to my yard. We have a patch in our backyard that stays wet most of the time. The neighbor's yard and our front …
Continue Reading about How to Grow and Care for Swamp Sunflower – Helianthus angustifolius
