Evening star., 1947-10-05

damp spots consider them wasted
and unproductive areas, While 1t
is freely admitted that few of the
attractive plants. especially our ma
tives, are true bog plants, there are
a great many worthwhile plants
that do thrive in areas having con-
siderable moisture. Thus 1t Is not
only possible but practical to de-
velop a garden of moisture-loving
plants.
Since damp or moist areas are
relative terms, we will define them
as areas where seepage or natural
springiness of the soil keeps it moist
at all times. Such spot might be
creek bel:. the foot of slope
where the natural drainage OF
moisture through the soil keeps it
quite moist; areas filled with springs
of very small volume that tend to
keep the soil slightly moist at all
times and those places where the
subsoil drainage is so poor that they
are always moist.
While some of the above-desribed
conditions might result in the
ground being so wet that 1t is soft
and boggy, most of the plants men
toned here are not adapted to such
conditions, but rather to ground that
is firm enough to be walked upon
most of the time and which may be
cultivated occasionally.
Soil Preparation Needed.
Before discussing the individual
plants, it might be desirable to
point out that these plants need
caseful soil preparation such as we
should give any perennial border
In other words, these moisture-lov-
ing plants need drainage, humus
and air. The first point, drainage,
is usually obtained by mixing in
sand where the soil is heavy and
tends to pack tightly. We may find
that the soil Is black and heavy,
needing only sand, but more often
in this area it is likely to be a
heavy clay, needing both sand and
leafmold. The tightening of the soil
by the addition of sand is especially
important in sunny spot, where
heavy soils tend to crack badly dur
ing periods of drought. If it is a
stony or gravelly soil, then it may
need only to have the larger stones
removed and quantities of leafmold,
compost or peat moss added. A
sandy soil requires only the addi-
ton of the humus.
The humus mentioned above
(peatmoss, leafmold and compost)
not only serves to hold an ample
supply Of moisture for the plants
but also renders the soil less COM
pacting; provides plant food and
aids in providing air to the plant
roots.
There is a considerable number
Of plants that thrive under such
moisture conditions, but If the gar
dener avoids those that are likely
to become weedy and selects those
that have attractive flowers and To-
liage. whose habit of growth fits
the particular situation, then he IS
likely to have garden that Is at
tractive. A goodly share of the
moisture-loving plants requires
shade in this area. There are many,
though, that thrive in full sun.
For convenience, the following list
of moist,lre-loving plants is d.
vided into sun-loving and shade
loving:
Shade-Loving Plants.
Perennials :-Astilbe (Astilbe ja-
ponica.
| Blue lobelia Lobelia sipilitica).
Cardinal flower Gobelia cardi-
nalis),
Crinkleroot CDentaria diphylla),
Dropwort Fflipendula hexa-
petala),
Dutchman's Breeches Dicentra
cucullaria),
Dwarf Ginsing (Panax trifolium)
Cinnamon fern (Osmanda CHINA
monea),
Royal fern (Osmunda regalis),
Bottle gentian (Gentiana an
drewsio,
False hellebore (Veratrum viridD
Jack in the Pulpit (Arisaema
triphyllum).
Snowy ladysliper (Cypripedium
reginae),
Marsh Marigold (Caltha palustris)
Spring Beauty (Claytonia vir-
ginica),
Troutlily (Erythronium-various
species,
Turtle head (Chelone glabra),
Purple Loosestrife Gythrum sali-
caria).
Common blue violet (viola papi-
lionacea),
Downy yellow violet Viola pube-
scens),
Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia vir
ginica),
Shrubs:-Swamp azalea (Rhodo-
dendron biscoscum),
Inkberry (Ilex glabra),
Winterberry ulex verticillata),