Shrubs and climbers for seasonally wet and dry soils

Please see our page on how to choose plants for seasonally wet and dry soils for detailed practical tips and guidance on choosing and planting, and answers to your questions on managing these challenging conditions. 

Planting in these conditions is, to a greater or lesser extent, experimentation. However, getting plants off to a good start will help improve their resilience.

• Incorporating organic matter – homemade garden compost, well-rotted manure or failing that, a dedicated soil improver – to a spade’s depth before planting will help with improving soil structure and moisture retention for summer
• Some plants may gain their drought tolerance by being in some shade in summer
• Use mulches after planting too to conserve moisture – again, homemade garden compost is preferable
• Plant shrubs in October so that they start to establish before winter. They will need to be watered regularly during the growing seasons of their first two years
• For the fruit garden, apple and pear trees and blackcurrants should cope best with these conditions
• The cultivars are not specific – other cultivars of the same species will also be suitable