Gardening in clay

We are just starting to develop a new garden. This is presenting a new challenge - a clay soil, or to be more precise, a clay-loam soil.

In the past I have gardened in sand, in a good deep loam, on loam with lumps of clay, but never in a really clay soil. This is the sort of clay soil that is pale to look at and stays wet for ages. When trodden on it sets so solid when dry it could be concrete. However, if the weather has been very wet, as long as it is not trampled on, after a week or so the soil will crumble into fine lumps. So I am hopeful.

Now comes the challenge, what will grow in it?

Already growing established in the back garden are phloxes, peonies (which do wonderfully), phlomis russelliana, and Japanese anemones. In the front there is, surprisingly, a good clump of the delicate looking Mediterranean plant Asphodeline liburnica. So far I have added hardy geraniums (thriving), geums (doing well), actaeas (slow growing so can’t tell), persicarias and irises. Yes, bearded irises too! We have tested the soil, and it is not acid which means irises should grow. So far so good, but I am keeping my fingers crossed that they make it through the winter. That's as long as next door's sheep stay out of the garden!