Planting a river bank garden that floods..

[genie]

Hi All! I live on a narrowboat and I have a mooring on the river avon near Bath. This is the first time I have had land to grow on. I have explored some basic container gardening up until now, and am quite excited to have a proper garden!

The river (especially this year) floods over the land which could spend upto a week under water if its been really bad. I am desperatly looking for suitable plants (both food and flowers) that is hardy enough to survive flooding. The ground is very fertile as the river deposits organic debris and silt during each flood. In the summer we have quite alot of shade due to the trees. I have a few things in pots that I can move during floods and also during the summer to sunnier spots, but I would like to know what I can put n the ground.

I love living here - we have an abundance of birds and wildlife including otters - (there is plenty of evidence to suggest they are very regular visitors on the land as well as sightings!) I have concidered in the long run getting bees (thats another topic!) For now, I need to plan ahead and figure out what is worth putting money into and what isnt. So far I have raspberries, rhubarb, strawberries. my neightbours leeks and cale have done surprising well under the circumstances and the potted rosemary hasnt been affected at all so far. I am planning to put irises on silty bankside and the daffodils i planted i december are already showing. we also have wild garlic coming up!

I would love some suggestions of what to put in and what not to put in - i really want to get some significant results for this year!



genie

[boboff]

Hello

I have a similar site on the River Tamar, and you have done the one thing I would do, Raspberries.

Other things which I have grown well are

Willow
Comfrey
Roses
Hops
Lemon Balm and all the mints
Snowdrops
Delphinium
Clematus
Jacobs ladder
Elderberry

But the Raspberries do love this sort of place, concentrate on getting earlys middles lates, and mucking around with cutting back etc to get fruit from May to November, with the mint, you'll have a decent Pimms for most of Spring Summer and Autumn!

[genie]

thanks for replying, we are lucky to have some very mature willow, and elderflower here (I am looking forward to making cordial from andys booze for free book this year!) I love the idea of trying clematis out, ide have never thought it could take conditions like this - i always see it as a very delicate plant - how would it be for the roots to be submerged under water for long times? we also have plenty of commfrey growing here as alot of the land has been kept wild (plenty od black berries too!) I have found it a challenge to find info on this subject, things are mainly focused or preventing bank erosion. i shall look into getting some of the things you have mentioned. ANy ideas what veggies i could plant? Hows the river been down your way this past couple of monthes - we have certainly faced some challenges recently!

[diggernotdreamer]

I don't live by a river, but I do live in North West Ireland which is a bit like being underwater most of the time. All kinds of kales and cabbages grow well in the wetter soil, I love Tuscan black kale or cavalo de nero, it seems to tolerate most conditions. We have built lots of raised beds which has helped an awful lot, I am going to keep growing carrots in big plastic boxes, we also have a couple of water tanks taken out of the house which I fill with soil for root crops, including parsnips. we were so slug ridden and waterlogged last year, only the fluid sown carrots did any good. Sugar Ann sugar peas do very well in cool wet weather and are prolific and delicious, mini pop sweetcorn is great, as it does not need to ripen like regular sweetcorn wetter cooler weather is not really a problem, they are picked when the silks are still green. Climbing french beans are very good and more tolerant of changes in the weather than runner beans. If you can put in raised beds this would help or grow on ridges which will help with drainage.

[boboff]

The clematis grow up around trees, and I think this helps allot with the tree taking most of the local moisture / shading from the rain.

I try not to plant annuals! So can't really comment on veggies, but I have found Turkish / Wild / Rocket does reasonably well after a season or too.

I would be really interested in finding out how you get on, good luck.

[genie]

a brief update! i have discovered 1 meter gardening so I am going to attempt a try at that!! some of the patches are dug up waiting to be planned and planted!