Vegetated Ditch

Louisiana is a very low and wet environment. Louisiana roadways traverse some very scenic places including crossing swamps, marshes, forest preserves and open meadows. The beauty of Louisiana ditches is striking to anyone who travels the state with a bit of knowledge about wetland plants. In fact it may be fair to say that South Louisiana ditches are among the most beautiful in the country due to the way that flowering plants like Louisiana iris easily colonize these low, soggy sites that are inundated after every rainstorm. On any trip one may see native iris, spider lilies, pickerelweed, duck potato, bull tongue, lizard’s tail, elephant’s ear, seaside goldenrod or marsh mallows growing in these wet soggy roadway sites.

Ditches and right-of-way edges should be thought of differently in Louisiana.  They take very little space and offer unique rewards not only for gardeners but for the passing public as well.   Not only will the “Louisiana ditch gardens” be a beautiful landscape feature for homes, gardens, parks and roadsides it is a low cost practical storm water management, best management practice, known as a bio-retention.