Area that retains water after rain

I am new, so pardon if this has been discussed previously. I have an area that retains water after a rain. It is the lowest section on the property. It rained 10 inches last week and water is still standing there. Is there anything that would grow well there? I can tell there was once a tree, as I find many roots when I dig. I don't know if I should dig deeper and make a pond, or try to plant something as it is. Any suggestions?

i vote pond- i have a similar area under some trees-in the winter we have a ice rink-Im planning on turning it into my pond area. good luck

If it stays wet most of the time (meaning your rainfall recently wasn't a 100-year record or anything), you can either dig it out for a pond, or you can make it a bog garden. There are a lot of plants that will do well in bogs....a quick internet search will yield a lot of possibilities.

I like the idea of a bog garden with some large and small rocks and pebbles and if it does dry out, which it might, then you would have a sorta dry stream bed. By the way, welcome to DG :-)

Thanks for the Welcome, Louisa!
I don't think the area stays dry, just stays wet a long time; can't get the garden tractor in for about a month after it rains heavily.
I'll have to check out the bog garden thingy, and see if it would qualify. Am also thinking about the pond idea: If we start on the edges and dig toward the center, if we get tired and frustrated, we will have an island! I just wouldn't want a gator.
It was so neat... about a month ago; our dog brought home some "presents" and deposited them in our front yard; the next day we had about 20 buzzards cleaning up after him; then we saw a hawk cleaning up after the buzzards left. I guess you can tell I love being in the country.
Pat

When I researched to put my pond in ...one thing I found out was a naturally wet area is not a good location. When the water table is high it will cause the liner to rise and sometimes leave a big bloated bubble at bottom of the pond. A rigid liner could actually float up and shift. That would only be an issue if you planned to use a liner. An earth bottom pond might work but if the water dries up later in the season it might not be a good idea.

I'd go with some bog plants. There's quite a few plants that like wet soils and will thrive there. Joe Pye weed, swamp milkweed, certain canna varieties, primulas, ligularia, cardinal flowers, Japanese iris, & yellow flag iris are a just a few that I can think of.

Poppysue is absolutely correct about putting a pond in wet areas, it can cause problems, some people a lucky and get away with it for a few years, but they get them in the end.

A bog garden is a very good idea for that kind of spot, but as go-vols said, as long as this is not just a seasonal thing, bog plants need the soil to stay wet at all times, they soon wilt if it gets to dry, but if it fits the bill, bog plants can give you quite an interest in the garden.

Greetings from the world's only "Sinking City!" Talk about retaining water - try living in a bowl! As a native of the swamp I would suggest flag irises - they are easy, cheap and colorful and make a striking show from a distance. The ditches along the highways here are full of them so you know they aren't picky!

don't forget bog sage, S. uliginosa sp?... very pretty blue/white flowers, mine stayed green all winter though it quit blooming, north florida.