Unless you plant bog plants, you can't plant in a hole that fill with water as it will rot the roots quickly. Adding gravel will not help with drainage as you have have created is a large bowl. You need to break up all the clay till it drains away (hard work). I have had the same problem. Raised beds on top of the soil is one way to plant that avoids digging over the whole garden.

thank you for taking the time to reply, I think I'll go for the raised bed option, as I was nearly in tears the other day, its such hard labour. Not finding gardening very enjoyable at the moment. Im sure thing can only get better, thankyou again :))

We have a clay soil too and it is very hard for me to dig. Have a break from the beds and work on a container or two with some nice multi purpose compost! You could put in a few bulbs and top them with pansies or heathers - this will cheer you up and get you away from the hard labour!

You might try a rose or two to see what happens - they do like clay, but they aren't bog plants!

I sympathise Cannahave, I'm having similar problems in a new garden. I'd wanted to get things planted out by now but I'm having to get the drainage sorted first as the grass and patio keep flooding in heavy rain, and will then be getting some manure dug into the bed - it's already raised a bit which definitely helps. Don't be too disheartened :)

thanks steragram, I do have a bed specially for the roses that do contain a few other things, and they are doing very well, I put these in in spring/summer this year, its another part of the garden that I was hoping to continue with (still the same problems), so I did end up planting a few winter containers .(great minds think alike Wildrose)

Bash on then, and the best of luck! Hope you can get it sorted.