5 Rules to Successful Gardening

5 Rules to Successful Gardening

Having spent more than 2 decades in the horticulture industry and having served thousands of customers along the way, I often thought there are some very basic gardening rules that if people were aware of them it would make a huge impact on their gardening endeavors.I’ve repeated these ground rules (pardon the pun, I couldn’t resist) often while speaking to Garden Clubs and thought an article was definitely warranted. They are mostly common sense but when said out loud or read in print maybe they will remain in one’s memory.

1. Patience – Ask any old gardener and he will agree. Patience must be exercised in spades (again pardon the pun) to enjoy long term success in gardening. Rome wasn’t built over night and your garden won’t turn into the Gardens at Versailles over night either. Many conifers and deciduous trees appear to “sit doing nothing” for up to 3 years after planting while in reality they are growing. The growth is all underground where you can’t see it but trust me, it’s there! Top growth will naturally follow as soon as the roots have established themselves. Certain plants are slow to leaf out each spring; like hibiscus syriacus or Rose of Sharon or Nurserymens Nightmare as it’s often called by those of us in the industry. It often won’t leaf out until nearly June causing many customers to unceremoniously rip it out of the ground, return it to the nursery and exclaim loudly “This plant is dead!” Well, it is now we often reply. I have a friend who was given a Photinia in tree form that was taken roughly out of it’s home and dropped in her yard. She planted it and waited. And waited. And waited. Meanwhile it had almost completely defoliated and I admit to being skeptical myself as to it’s survival. My friend, being of Scottish descent, stubbornly clung to the hope that the tree would indeed survive and flourish. Well it’s a good thing I didn’t wager on it’s demise because sure enough, it began to leaf out again and I chastised myself for not following the number one rule of gardening!

2. Work with what you have – So many times I am asked by customers things like “What can I grow underneath my cedars?” Oh dear. Very, very, little grows well under cedars because cedars are water hogs and take all the moisture for themselves, not to mention they drop needles constantly making the soil quite acidic and lastly create too much shade for most plants to have a hope at survival. Yet people persevere purchasing more and more plants because by gum they want to have something under their cedars!! Fighting against challenges such as too much shade, too much sun, too little moisture, too much slope, etc. is counter productive. Accept that sometimes you will have a spot in your yard that simply won’t do what you want it to. Give in to reality and embrace the options. Low elevation with water pooling? Try not planting and instead think pea gravel for it’s drainage qualities. You can always dress up the area with containers filled with color. Grass won’t grow well in your North facing back yard? Stop trying to grow grass and think of maybe putting slate pieces in with creeping thyme or Scotch Moss peeking out from between them. Step back and look at the area with a more objective eye and think of alternatives. Ask and listen to advice at your local nursery for help with problem areas and mostly be willing to think outside of the box!

3. Proper site preparation – There is an old saying that I first heard from Bill Vanderzalm many years ago. It simply states “Don’t put a $10 plant in a 10 cent hole”. Still holds true today. Common sense but yet you’d be surprised how often its ignored. The most expensive plant in the world will not flourish if the soil is poor! Take the time before planting to properly prepare the planting hole. Start with good quality planter soil for container gardening for example. Invest in soil conditioners, manures, or composts if you are not sure of the quality of what’s in your yard. Use gardeners’ secrets like liquid transplanter at planting (probably the smartest thing you can do). It’s absolutely worth every penny. Think of it as money well spent. Enough said.

4. Fall is for planting – I once worked at a nursery with a young chap from Britain called Niles. He was (andstill is) a trained horticulturist. He used to tell me of the crazy fall seasons at nurseries in England. Britons know (it must be in their blood, world class gardeners that they are) that fall is truly for planting! A typical May day in any BC garden centre is a typical fall day in a British garden centre. The Canadian horticulture industry has tried promoting this concept for years but it appears to be ingrained in our psyches to do the bulk of our planting in spring. Sadly, people are losing out on the best time for planting shrubs and trees. Now let me explain exactly why this is so. In fall, the ground temperature is warm and the air is cool. Perfect rooting and growing conditions for freshly planted shrubs and trees. In spring, the ground is cool and the air can be warm. Not perfect rooting and growing conditions for freshly planted shrubs and trees. Any person who has started seeds indoors will confirm that soil temperature is critical to success. Roots naturally reach out in warm soils and stop cold in cool soils. Cooler air temps are desired because then there isn’t any heat stress. Trees and shrubs will actually do a lot of root growing through the fall and into early winter, getting themselves established before the following spring giving them a head start. Again, it’s the common sense thing.

5. Be realistic of your time – If you are a weekend gardener that likes a tidy, manicured yard whilst enjoying other backyard pursuits such as reading a good book in your chaise, playing fetch with Fido or leisurely chats with friends who bring beer then don’t plant a rose garden of hybrid teas! Be realistic about how much time you are willing to devote to maintenance of your plantings. Often people have misconceptions as to the amount of work involved with some of the plant selections they make. On the other hand, there are many keen gardeners out there who think nothing of spending a whole day lovingly tending to their flora. Be specific when inquiring with nursery staff about the care required for plant material you find interesting. Low maintenance choices abound so be honest and decide before planting how much time can you devote to these plants. It is possible to have a fabulous garden for almost every skill level of gardener. All you have to do is ask the right questions.