#@*&##&

I awoke this morning to exclamations from Adam which I will not repeat, as he watched the giant snowflakes falling.  He just got his bad weather bicycle back yesterday after a 4 month Frankenstein operation at the bike shop which entailed replacement of a cracked frame (warranty, thank you Fuji) and a variety of other repairs and parts procured from far away places.  This has been the subject of much distress in our house – the lack of a winter bike…in winter.  However, the bike is now bionic.  Bionic or not, you can’t ride in slushy snow, and hence the unhappy husband.  When I saw the snow, I merely sighed as this has been a repetitive sight this winter.  And just as I think it could not possibly snow again (we are only at 130′ so the odds are lower), it does. 

Losses have been significant for our garden this winter, even though I don’t push the zonal envelope that much – I am too lazy in my garden and refuse to commit my clients to additional work (& heartache) unless they request something.  The weight of the snow in December did far more damage than the repeated hard freezes.  My Phormium are completely flat (3 mature ‘Sundowner’; 3 mature ‘Platt’s Black’ – squashed).  I already have 3 new ‘Platt’s Black’ lined up in protected storage, waiting for the frost threat to be over – from a grower’s sale, greenhoused over the winter.  The old ones will be cut back, pulled and potted with hopes for recovery – though they will look pretty bad in the meantime.  I have a pathetic Juniperus virginiana ‘Blue Arrow’ that looks like an spindly stick figure with arms waving all around…I brushed him off after every heavy snow but it did not take much to disfigure.  He is currently wrapped to encourage return to usual form.  The Pieris japonica ‘Flaming Silver’ suffered frost burns in December and are now shedding the leaves.   Countless Euphorbia (wulfenii, martinii) are flat.   Losses due to the hard freezes include several mature Anemanthele lessoniana.  I love this grass so I will continue to use it, though I am growing closer to considering it an annual.  Even if it does not die, it can look pretty bad after repeated drops into the 20s.  Cutting it back to the ground can fast forward death, and if not, it takes too long to recover.  I also lost over 80% of my relatively large (4′) Protanthera rotundifolia…no big surprise here.  Before the freeze/snow events in December, I swaddled it in 3 layers of reemay, secured to the ground.  It was not enough.  Last summer, when some nursery folks toured the garden, it was in full bloom and they could not believe it had survived long enough to grow that large.  I was smart enough to attribute its longevity to chance and not any prowess on my part.  I won’t be replacing that one in that position.  It will be pulled, pruned and potted with cuttings taken for insurance.  They do not like hard pruning, so not counting on survival of the parent.  Several Carex tenuiculmis ‘Cappuccino’ look pretty ratty – these are on the edge too for those really low temps we saw, and while not dead, some will be replaced.  Generally I brush these out with a small wire rake and trim the dead ends.  Once new growth comes in, I assess.   

A few other issues here and there – Pinus heldreichii and Juniperus scopulorum ‘Moonglow’ are a little wide and weird, but the weathered form adds some character.  Seems like most other things are coming back, albeit slowly, and I was happy to see that covering the Corylopsis (spicata and pauciflora) during last week’s freeze seems to have spared the opening flowers. 

It’s raining now, and today’s white stuff should be gone by the evening.  Maybe we will see warmer spring weather soon.

Hopefully this winter has not done too much damage in your garden.  Take heart that you are not alone – we have all suffered.  I grieved in December, then decided it was an opportunity to try some new things.  Just doing my part to keep the local nurseries and growers in business.  Onward…

pathetic

 

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design and sustainability

I participated in a local Home and Garden Show this weekend which was quite fun.  Below is the text from a handout I wrote about garden design and sustainability.

Good Garden Design is Sustainable

When it comes to creating a garden, good design is fundamental to sustainability. Plant health is key to a successful garden, no matter what the desired look and feel. And while a great deal of the gardening industry is based on changing your site to suit the plants you want, it is much easier (and more sustainable) to create a design and select the plants that will be successful in the conditions you have. The following are observations are I have made through my work as a designer, and as a gardener.

Know your site. This is often one of first things you will read in design books, or hear from experienced designers and gardeners. It is critical to your success, and often it takes time to truly know a site. Spend time noting the quality of light through the day and the seasons, investigate the soil type and conditions, and observe drainage patterns and problems (remember – often times plants already growing in an area can tell us a lot about all of these things). Pick up an inexpensive journal and jot down these observations. Have a good understanding of your site conditions before you plan your garden or begin buying plants.

Know Your Plants. There is a plant for nearly every condition, and you can create a beautiful garden whether you have full sun, deep shade, a bog or a dry hillside. You just need to know each plant’s preferred conditions and ultimate size – the basics to ensure “right plant, right place.” Also spend some time learning what the conditions mean – for instance, “full sun” is generally considered 6+ hours of exposure in the growing season. If you give plants less than optimal conditions, some will adapt, but most will require more resources to survive or look good and some will just not survive.

Know Yourself. This is important, yet sometimes overlooked. Spend time on the fun stuff like looking at gardening books and dreaming about plants you would like to try, but be honest with yourself about your time commitment to the garden. If you love to garden and have all the time you need, then go crazy. Most of us don’t have that luxury. If you don’t have the time or the inclination, don’t over design your garden. Keep your spaces smaller, and where you will enjoy them year round. Choose plants and materials that will require less upkeep. Create a garden that is a joy, not a burden. If you want room to play each year, consider pots that you can change seasonally. Keep them near the entrance or windows so you can enjoy them all year.

Have a Plan. While it is really tempting this time of year to rush out to the nurseries and buy all the lovelies you can find, have a plan and even better – always have a list. It’s a great idea to explore the nurseries to see all the options, and to do this at different times of the year to see plants through the seasons…but perhaps leave your wallet in the car during these exploratory visits (this works for me…sometimes). When you have a plan, and a list of plants, you will find that pulling the plants together once you get home is much easier and you will have the right plants for your conditions. Some improvisation is fine if you see one or two things you can’t live without, I call them the “wild card” plants. But do check the tags to see if they will fit in somewhere in your garden.

Feed Your Soil. If I have a choice of where my clients spend their resources – the top of my list is always improving the soil. For most plants and soil conditions, you cannot go wrong with adding organic compost. A slow release source of nutrients that also retains moisture in summer, slows erosion, inhibits weed growth and protects plants in winter…what else could you ask for? Compost is a gardener’s best friend. And while you are improving your plants’ health, you are reducing the disease prevalence, and the need to rely on potentially harmful disease control methods.

poster from the show

 

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