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Wednesday, 15 August 2007
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A novel solution to a perennial damp spot
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A dreadfully wet summer has shown up a whole host of problem areas within Irish gardens, the lawn being chief amongst these. There are many seemingly perfect green lawns out there, which unfortunately have been let down by one particular problem area. The soggy bog moss section.

This area exists within many gardens, appearing in a part of the lawn, which is damp and shaded. The main causes of this plight are lowered ground levels (holding water), sticky soil and overshadowing by buildings or walls.
 
So, what is the solution to that damp and shaded area of lawn? If you opt for a special shade lawn seed, yes it will cope with the shade, but not the moisture, so no joy there.
 

You can of course decide to apply moss killer, rake out the moss and over seed the area every year. But this is a continuing and wasteful drain on time and materials. It also seems a bit too much like penance for my liking.
 
Where shade and moisture are the main soil factors, I suggest you go with the flow and plant the area according to those overriding factors. This means planting the area with bog garden or marsh plants. Almost any moisture-loving plant can be used for this purpose. Iris, Purple Loosestrife, Phormium, Vinca, Hosta, Hemerocallis, Acorus and Creeping Jenny are amongst some of the most suitable. 
 
One of the best perennial plants for a boggy area that I have found is Astilbe, commonly known as False Spirea. Astilbe thrives in the moist soils beside the woodland streams of its natural home, Eastern Asia.


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