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.
