Welcome to the South. I am from St Bernard parish, in the very southeastern part of the state, however I now live in northeast MS. You might want to try some raised beds. These can be be made of bricks or timbers or other such materials, creating a sort of raised box, and fill with compost or humus. Or you can just sort of build a raised berm that slopes down. That would help with your drainage issue. Irises like the wet, and sun. But they only look good for about a month in the spring. Lantana tolerates alot of conditions, also black eyed susan and daylillies, but not much will thrive where the area really stays wet.

Welcome to Louisiana,
Try looking under bog gardening. If you have soggy
soil try working with it. Good luck, keep us posted
on your progress.

Brenda
NOLA

Louisiana irises, canna lilies, calla lilies, crinum lilies, some ferns, swamp rose, swamp black-eyed susans, some gingers, horsetails, some bromeliads, Peace Lily, sedges, some ornamental grasses, some mosses, Swamp Maple and many native shrubs. Check with you local county agent for help.

brhgm, I couldn't help but notice in your list of flowers and plants, that you included "peace lily." Do you have that in your yard? I always thought of those as indoor plants. I have a huge one that was given to us when my sister died, and it is almost too big for the house? Would love to be able to plant it outdoors, but don't want to kill it. I live in Pass Christian, MS, so zone is similar to yours.

Just also found out about crinums and have planted a few. I can't wait to watch them grow and bloom! No one seems to really know about them around here, but everyone who has them seems to love them!

Wodka, I don't have my peace lily in the ground, but it is in a pot outdoors, in the shade. I move it into the shed when the overnight temp is predicted for the low 40s or below.

natal, I bet your peace lily loves it outside. I really don't have much shade at all, so guess mine will just take over our foyer for a while longer.

I have never had a hydrangea, and bit the bullet yesterday. I was looking for a place in my yard to plant it where it would get some shade/relief from our brutal summers and finally found a small spot near my crape myrtles. I sure hope it makes it.

Our house and yard are not yet two years old, so the trees we planted are still somewhat babies. I added a river birch recently because I heard they grow really fast.

Also found an angel trumpet - I know they're extremely poisonous, but we don't have children or pets, and they are so beautiful. I hope it grows, too.

natal, do I recall you saying you had a banana shrub? Such a local favorite and the blossoms smell divine, but mine is still somewhat puny. I'm hoping it's just recovering from a winter frost, so I'm leaving it alone. If it doesn't look any better by fall, it' out of here.

I'm probably one of millions who is not a fan of Encore azaleas. I dug my three up yesterday and cut them back and re-planted in another area (I hate to give up and throw out anything, if there is still a hint of life in them.) They might be joining the banana shrub in the hereafter if they don't perk up soon - ha.

As far as groundcovers go, I have used Ajuga before and it was beautiful and a quick spreader, but I don't know how much it likes wet soil?

Wodka, good luck with the hydrangea. If it only gets morning sun it should be ok.

Our back yard went from pretty much full shade to full sun thanks to hurricanes, a lightning strike, and a construction project. We've gradually replanted lost trees with a river birch, swamp red maples (very fast growing), bald cypress, winged elm, Chinese elm, silverbell, crepe myrtle, nuttall oak, and a Grancy gray beard (another fast grower). Yes, my banana shrub is doing ok now, but I had to move it after the first year because it was getting too much sun.

thanks again, natal. I will probably end up moving my banana shrub, too. There's one side of my house that gets a little shade - just no one ever goes on that side....

I've ordered a pineapple guava that was mentioned on another thread - we'll see how that goes.

I live over in waveland,Ms. What I found to do best also is raised beds. I use a mix of potting soil,manure, and mushroom compost in 1/3s. I have to large beds in the front of my house in one i used 15 bags of lowes $1.09 soil, 15 bags of 1.79 manure and 15 bags of 2.00 mushroom compost. It makes an awesome soil base for flowing plants! I also use landscape mesh in the bed before putting in the soil. Here is pics of my flower beds mind you these beds are barely 3 months old. and most of the plants where very small cuttings.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=72958&id=525799374&l=70565f44f6

but to answer your question a little more directly I love wave petunias they are GREAT ground cover grow really fast and are easy to grow but a little time consuming if you dead head like i do!

I like and enjoy all of the above sugestions as always. Might want to try Confederate Rose Hibiscus or any hardy hibiscus. This is my second year with the Cofederate Rose Hibiscus and it sure loves water. My first year with "Texas-Flordia-Louisiana" Star Hibiscus. All bog plants but will grow in most anywhere and hardy to Zone 5 at least.

Sounds like you have a lot to work with. Yes, my Peace Lily grows in the ground and comes back after frosts. The Louisiana Dept of Agriculture has monthly articles on its website for planting tips. The county agent in Baton Rouge is on the LSU campus. I also lost a 50 foot oak tree and now have lots of sun. Since roses are one of my hobbies, I have many. Good luck.

Sounds like you have buckshot clay (petroleum-colored?). Great stuff! You can use it to fashion little levees to hold in the soil of your raised beds. Lafayette has a great place that sells 'organic top soil', if that city is not too far away for you to truck in soil.

As for plant material, nothing beats our natives. Magnolia Grandiflora, Bald Cypress, Swamp Rose, and the local Palmetto are all wonderful plants, as is the native bamboo. And there are many others, some considered Prairie species. Louisiana Iris is an obvious choice.

As for exotics, you cannot have too many Camellia Sassanqua. These will tolerate sun, with enough water. I see them right by the highways, around here, blooming themselves crazy, in full sun. We came across a Bottlebrush Buckeye doing magnificently in a small Mississippi Delta town, apparently with no care. Hymenocallis, Cannas, Agapanthus, and Crinums are all 'bulbs' that will thrive for you. I am growing Cherokee Rose on fairly swampy ground, and it's doing great. Virtually anything in the Mallow family will do well; from Okra to Althea. I seem to be collecting Altheas, myself. So far, I have sixteen plants, from four different cultivars. The 'Confederate Rose', Hibiscus Mutabilis, is a mallow growing into a small tree, with multicolored blooms all through summer and fall. It will not tolerate drought, and so should love your yard.

As to conventional roses, I can sum that up in one word: Eutin. Grows all over Mississippi, with nary a care. Beyond Eutin, most other Hybrid Musks have the fortitude to deal with the severe conditions nature throws our way down here. Make sure, though, that you're buying own-root plants. Cornelia is my favorite: mainly for its fragrance.