Work with the weather: The dogwoods, willows, and irises that thrive in waterlogged Irish gardens

Some plants are happy in the wet weather

It's all about using the right plant in the right place and working with what we have and not against it. Darmera Peltata revel in damp ground. They’re like the big, showy foliage plants of a lush, misty valley somewhere far more exotic than our back garden.

IF YOU feel like you’ve been living in a rain cloud for the past fortnight, you’re not alone. Gardens across the country are soaked to the skin, lawns have the consistency of wet sponge cake, and even the ducks are looking for higher ground.

Some plants are happy, though, and for every one of us gardeners groaning at the weather forecast, there’s a dogwood or a willow rubbing its horticultural hands together and saying: “I’m loving it.”