Ground Cover Solutions for a Wet, Clay Backyard

A small Georgia backyard (20' x 8') has terrible drainage—water from Saturday still hasn’t drained by Monday. Half is flower bed; the other half needs ground cover that tolerates wet clay.

Recommended Ground Cover

Pachysandra (often misspelled “pachesandra”) thrives in moist, shady conditions and handles heavy clay. It forms a dense, evergreen mat that absorbs excess water. Other wet-tolerant options:

• Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia) – loves moisture, spreads quickly.
• Japanese Iris (Iris ensata) – ornamental, tolerates standing water.
• Sweet Flag (Acorus gramineus) – grass-like, wet feet okay.

Drainage Improvement

Pea gravel or rock alone won’t fix poor drainage in clay. Consider amending the soil with compost, installing a French drain, or creating a rain garden with the above plants to manage water naturally.