outside of view. A privacy cedar fence was installed running down the side of the property (the left side of these two photos). The new “garden room” has clematis climbing on the fence and low-maintenance, drought tolerant plantings on each side of a bluestone path. The “alleyway” between the fence and the shed is about 8' wide. I also put in a cedar arbor to mark the entrance into this new “room.”
We’ll walk arm-in-arm as I help you re-evaluate each area of your garden space: what can stay as-is, or be downsized or – gasp – eliminated! Next, we’ll take a look at the plants: which ones stay, or are switched for higher-impact, lower-maintenance varieties, or…Finally, I’ll equip you with design solutions to create a garden that is as close to auto-pilot as you can get (without sinking to the use of artificial plants). These solutions will work for all of us: the time-pressed working gardener (me), the older gardener who just can’t get out there and dig the way you used to, and the urban gardener who has only a patio or deck to play with.
After implementing the recommendations in this book, you’ll spend 50% less time on chores and your landscape will be more beautiful than ever! I still love my time in the garden, always will. But now a healthy balance is back. Who said you can’t have your cake and eat it too!
ONE
HELP!
MY GARDEN HAS TAKEN ME HOSTAGE!
Before we launch into how to minimize maintenance or restore order to the garden, let’s take a moment to reflect on how we got ourselves into this predicament. I’m not a sadist, really. I just think it’s important to understand the “root” of why we’re unhappy with the garden we have, so we never end up there again. So please lie back on the lounge chair and let’s begin.
For many of us, it was plant addiction. It started innocently enough with the purchase of one plant, perhaps a daylily or petunia. The next thing we knew, we’d become a plant collector. The urge to purchase “just one more” got the best of us, and we found ourselves trying to find a spot to jam the new addition into the garden – or we rationalized that that bed should be a tad wider. Enough said. If the muck boot fits, wear it. I do.
Or perhaps we simply liked getting gifts. Who doesn’t? When our neighbor or friend came a-callin’ with free plants, we were in seventh heaven. Until all hell broke loose after these invasive thugs took our garden hostage and almost chased us into the house! Who would have guessed plants with cute animal names like lamb’s ear, gooseneck and bee balm could create such havoc? And whoever gave Physostegia the nickname “obedient plant” should be sentenced to double digging duty. Now, chameleon plant (Houttuynia) is at least an honest description; it changes from a sweet clump of red, green and yellow leaves into an unstoppable avalanche. If you’re not familiar with these plants, consider yourself blessed.
A lawn sprouting arborvitaes everywhere!
Run for Your Life!
There are some plants that love playing the children’s game Red Light, Green Light! Every time you turn your back on them they advance. Perennials like obedient plant (Physostegia virginiana), sundrops (Oenothera fruiticosa and speciosa) and ‘Silver King’ white sage (Artemisia ludoviciana) will not remain stationary. They are out to take over the garden, the yard, the neighborhood…the world! Lock your door at night.
Make sure the plant’s habits match your expectations. If you want a groundcover, then you’ve made the right choice. If not, think again before you purchase one of the following perennials that spread by their roots. I have only noted those that usually don’t have the descriptive word “groundcover” on the plant tag.
Chinese Lantern (Physalis)
Ladybells (Adenorpha liliifolia)
Bellflowers (those in the Campanula punctata group)
Gooseneck (Lysimachia clethroides)
Plume Poppy (Macleaya)
Spiderwort (Tradescantia)
Bee Balm (Monarda)
(need I say Mint?)
Pink Primrose (Oenothera siskiyou)
Meandering roots aren’t the only way that plants can make a nuisance of themselves. “Seed spewing” plants can cover even more ground in a short period! Just give these fertile little ovules a smidgen of soil, light and moisture, and it’s off to the races. I really can’t fault biennials for this aggressiveness; it’s survival for them. Biennials only live for two years: first year leaves, second year flowers, third year dead. But the following perennials have no excuse:
Mallow (Malva alcea)
Garlic Chives (Allium tuberosum)
Mountain Bluet, Bachelor’s Button (Centaurea montana)
Perennial Sunflower (Helianthus and Heliopsis)
Ox-Eye Daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare)
Violet, Johnny Jump-Up (Viola)
It wasn’t our fault! For once it’s not just the kids saying this. It is very likely that through the years the light conditions changed over the garden. Trees grew larger or were lost to storms, privacy fences were installed, or sun-blocking homes sprang up next door. And then again, sometimes we are the ones to blame. Personally, I’m an excellent illusionist. I can make myself see more light in a spot than actually exists, allowing me to purchase the perennial I’m coveting that needs full sun. I’ve also resorted to leafing through multiple gardening catalogs (or websites) until I found one that listed the light condition I was looking for. True confessions of a desperate gardener. Whatever the catalyst was for plants ending up in the wrong light, the end results were the same – they looked scraggly, were more prone to disease or insect damage, bloomed sporadically or not at all; and winter kill (or abuse) was a common scenario.
My part sun garden only required a little right-size tweaking. The garden was 6' wide and about 35' long (as pictured). After tweaking it, the section extending beyond the garden shed was removed. I only kept the flowers bordering the shed. These low-fuss perennials include many varieties of repeat blooming daylilies; stiff-stemmed shasta daisies; astilbe; coral bells; hardy geraniums and mildew-resistant phlox. (This photo was taken in early spring.)
Seeing is Believing
Too many people fabricate their garden’s light condition, usually based upon plants they want to buy or garden conditions they wished they had. Please stop dreaming; you’re only hurting yourself
