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How to plant poorly draining clay soil

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How to plant poorly draining clay soil

tl;dr: clay soil prevents adequate drainage. How can I plant this area?

My yard in Central Virginia is generally sloped back to front with a flat area in the middle for the house and yard. About 20’ elevation difference total, roughly split evenly. The soil is mostly clay with small rocks, but some areas do have organic matter/loam. It seems like the water drains well down the slopes but seems to collect in the flat area.

I dug this hole in hopes of planting a fig tree, but obviously this is not ideal. We got a big rain just over a week ago and a smaller rain two days ago and then hole still has water. My guess is the thick clay is impervious and not letting it drain. A relatively large area stays squishy and wet a long time after drain. Thankfully this isn’t right up against the house, but we do have concerns with this affecting the house/foundation/structure.

What can I do to be able to plant in this? Raised bed for a fig tree? Just choose another location? A major drainage project (French drain with pipes down to ditch) is probably what I need but we don’t have the budget for that right now. Maybe next year.

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Puget Sound Garden Fling: Froggsong Gardens

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Puget Sound Garden Fling: Froggsong Gardens

On our first day of the Fling in the Puget Sound region last July, we stopped mid-day at the lovely Froggsong Gardens. It is a large garden estate advertised as a wedding venue on the beautiful Vashon Island in Puget Sound. The garden itself was described as a five acre garden set within seventeen acres which includes a rose pergola, a roundel garden, a stone ruin and a sunken garden. The gardeners/owners describe it as “Northwest Formal” – sounds interesting so, ok, let’s go!

It was a bright, sunny day so photography was challenging. But the beauty of this Cornus controversa ‘Variegata’, the wedding cake tree, shines no matter what light.
Before exploration began we stopped in the lovely shaded pavilion for lunch and a shopping experience from Little Bird Gardens, a sweet nursery on Vashon Island.

Unknown Hydrangea macrophylla, hydrangeas being the unofficial mascot of the Puget Sound Garden Fling.

Time to wander and take in the ambiance of Froggsong. These rock pillars serve as an entry point into what I assume are the wedding venue areas.

Rows of birches possibly serving some purpose for weddings. Even if that is not the case the simplicity of the planting is appealing.

A most excellent aisle in which to exchange vows.

It is a bit tricky to see but there is a berm mounded up around the parameter of these beds. It reminded me of Neolithic earth works and is an interesting idea.

Within the beds, yellows and whites dominate the scene, making it feel even brighter than the day already offered.

A range of yellows from buttercream to lemon to vibrant school bus yellow. I like the harmony of it all.
Variegated Japanese maple.

Helen and Janet, our Canadian friends, enjoying a moment in the shade of clipped hedges. This tunnel of green is likely used for weddings.

A double flowered white Hydrangea serrata (is my best guess), perhaps ‘Shirofuji’. A beauty indeed.
Clipped hedging, part of the tunnel of love I believe.

Phlox paniculata looking very healthy and disease-free.
A wider shot of the heart of the garden with unfortunately very harsh lighting. On the Froggsong website there are photos of this that look much softer.

A bit away from the main garden is a pond area with a wilder feel and a large weeping willow.

A pergola walk surrounded with clipped shrubs and many hydrangeas and roses.

Very fancy raised beds.

This stone structure, probably the “stone ruin” as described in our directory, was tucked away, a place to discover for the wandering visitor.

Wider shot of the pergola alley.
Somewhere in there lies a pond and bridge. I’m sorry that I ran out of time and didn’t see it.

Many textures in there with what looks to be a rather large Chapaecyparis lawsoniana ‘Wissel’s Saguaro’ on the left, its silhouette an inky dark green.
Another view of that cornus because it’s so fantastic.
A parting shot of more clipped boxwood and a pretty pergola dripping with a grape vine.
Thank you Froggsong Gardens for hosting a rowdy group of 100 or so garden enthusiasts and opening your magic world to us. For those of you who attended weddings here or were married, lucky you! There was a lot more to explore that I simply didn’t have time for, perhaps someday someone I know will invite me back.
That’s a wrap for this week at Chickadee Gardens. As always thank you so much for reading and commenting, we do love hearing from you!

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