Clematis jackmanii

Carex 'Evergold'

Cornus sanguinea

Euonymus 'Emerald & Gold'

Vinca major (variegated)

Rosa 'Gertrude Jekyll'

What can I do about my clay soil?

Why is clay soil such a problem? Well, for a start it gets waterlogged in winter, which often kills off susceptible plants, then it sets rock hard in summer when it dries out. Lawns turn into a muddy mess when it rains and the soil is also hard to dig and cultivate.

So what can you do about it?

1. Improve the soil. This article from Fine Gardening tells you how.

2. Create raised beds to improve drainage. Try this link on gardening with raised beds.

3. Plan your landscaping carefully. Create paths over area of frequent use, to prevent muddy patches forming in wet weather. Use beds bisected by access paths or place stepping stones in the borders, to prevent compaction of the soil.

4. Grow plants which love clay. For example:

Acer
Achillea
Alcea rosea
Alnus
Amelanchier
Aquilegia
Aster
Aucuba
Berberis
Betula
Buddleia
Buxus
Calamagrostis
Callicarpa
Campanula
Carex
Carpinus betulus
Catalpa bignonioides
Cercis canandensis
Cerastium tomentosum
Chaenomeles
Chrysanthemum x superbum
Clematis
Cornus
Cotinus coggygria
Cotoneaster
Crataegus
Digitalis
Elaeagnus
Euonymus fortunei
Forsythia
Iberis
Ligustrum vulgare
Lychnis coronaria
Malus
Osmanthus heterophyllus
Parthenocissus
Photinia fraseri
Phyllostachys
Potentilla
Prunus
Pyracantha
Rhus typhinia
Robinia pseudoacacia
Rosa
Spirea
Symphoricarpos
Taxus
Viburnum
Vinca
Wisteria