Renew The View! "New Look - Same Plants" You’ve been working and toiling at your gardens for years and they look great but ....... something’s missing. Remember the joy and anticipation you felt when you first planted each bed? The anticipation of seeing the plants all filled out, the masses of blooming color. The new look and feel of each bed. Well the beds have matured now, the plants have grown and filled the beds. Each year you're greeted with riots of color, form and texture but there’s no newness, no anticipation of how it will fill in and look. You like what has developed but you miss the anticipation and newness. Or maybe you just feel that it’s time for something new or a new look. As gardeners we are about change. Something new every day. We live and thrive on change. Put shovel , to ground - change. Seed in the ground - anticipation of change. New beds and plants - change. Even erecting that new garden shed - change. Everything we do is either to change something that is or was, or in anticipation of change. We put seed in the ground to change what we don’t have. We erect structures to change the way things are done. We prune and train plants to change the way they look. We even apply chemicals and deterrents to change the normal outcome of nature. So what happens when beds "MATURE" and the views, look and feel remain the same from year to year? It’s time for change. Now there are those who would contend that there are countless changes going on in any garden at any given moment, and they are absolutely correct. I commend any gardener (or non-gardener for that matter) who can look beyond the obvious to see the myriad of changes taking place at any given moment in any garden. These are the gardeners who are the most "well-rounded" and have the greatest understanding of the complex interactivities occurring in the garden at any given moment. These are the people who best understand what a garden truly is. But the often times sad truth is, that as a whole, we are a people of "the big picture". We seldom notice the individual brush strokes that make up the whole. So change is needed, now what? Do we start "HOIKING" out all of those plants we put so much time, money and effort into and start over? This may seem like a ridiculous question but I’ve known people who did just that because they felt it was time for change. Certainly there will undoubtedly be plants that have either: A) outlived their intended purpose or B) didn’t work out the way we had hoped or intended. With such plants I suggest donating them, giving them away to other gardeners (or trading) or selling them outright as I will explain in greater detail in another article. In any case the answer is absolutely not! The fact is that, except for possibly a few plants, you are growing them because they fill a need or you just plain enjoy them. But the basic premise still remains - we need or desire change. The answer is simple - change the look! What I mean by this is to take what you have and rearrange where some of the plants are physically located within a single bed or multiple beds . The advantages of such an approach are many: Moving plants around will always change the look and feel of any bed or landscape. Thus we always have a new look. Allow you to try new plants by removing plants that didn’t perform well or didn’t perform to your expectations.
Rejuvenate the soil where the plants were growing by adding the proper amendments for the plant to go in its place. This normally will be nothing more than adding compost and loosening the soil but the dividends are huge. Rejuvenate plants by pruning, new soil, etc.Bringing unruly plants back in line with a proper scale and size for the planting area. Correcting problems such as invasive growth habits (look for this in a future article). Problems such as this usually can be corrected with some form of root containment. Controlling or correcting pest and disease problems. Many pests and diseases that are a particular problem to specific plants can take up residence in the soil and thrive around a plant or become an issue in the particular location where it resides. This is one reason why we as gardeners know better than to plant such crops as potatoes, tomatoes, "BRASSICA'S" and corn in the same location more than once every three or four years, Such problems as powdery mildew can be greatly reduced or eliminated if susceptible plants are moved to a location where they receive more air circulation. Air circulation that can be greatly reduced or cut off by other plants as they mature. Providing extra plants that can be sold for extra spending money (to pay for those new plants that you will inevitably buy), or provide extra plants to trade with fellow gardeners for new plants. Learn how different plants will perform under different conditions and growing locations. Increasing our knowledge of plants and gardening in general should be a goal of every true gardener. I regularly move plants around in my own zone 6 garden for many reasons, only one of which is to change the look of the bed or beds. When it comes to poor performers, I rarely remove them entirely until I have tried them in at least 2 different locations. When I move a poor performer, I generally try to do a little research on its growing preferences and then move it accordingly. This may mean more or less sun, afternoon shade, more or less water, etc. By doing this I have on several occasions, found that the plant performs wonderfully. If then it fails to perform as I expect it to - HOIKE IT! Sometimes a poor performer is just that - a poor performer! No amount of coddling, pampering or wishing will change this fact. One of the advantages of moving, thinning and dividing plants that I have come to enjoy is having extra plants to sell for extra cash. This will net me an extra $50.00 to $100.00 every time I have a plant sale. I have heard of people who have netted as much as $200.00 to $300.00 from selling excess plants. Perhaps, if I didn’t derive such pleasure from giving so many plants away to other gardeners, I would have more to sell. But such is the life of a true gardener! On this note don’t neglect those hundreds of volunteer plants that sprout up from seeds produced by many of the plants in your garden every year. Rather than waste them, try selling them or giving them away. It’s a great way to meet new gardeners and make new gardening friends. One last note on this subject is - take advantage of those trimmings where you cut back your woody plants. Many of them can be rooted easily to provide more plants (more on this in other articles). When it comes to digging and moving plants to change the look of a bed, I strongly recommend doing this in late fall just as the plants are going dormant or very early spring, just before they are breaking dormancy. By transplanting at this time you will greatly reduce or eliminate transplant shock to the plants and allow the roots to get established before the above ground growth starts placing big demands on them. I personally prefer fall transplanting and mulch heavily. This allows the roots to continue growing most of the winter because the plants are put into the ground while the soil is still warm. Mulching heavily at the time of planting here in zone 6 retains heat in the ground and in most winters prevents the ground from freezing solid. If the ground does freeze solid late in the winter, the mulch will also help to keep it frozen and protect the roots from "FROST HEAVING". In general, I have found that fall planting and mulching gives me bigger and stronger plants in the spring. Some cautions should be considered before starting your "Renewed View" though: Unless you have no other choice, avoid transplanting in the middle of summer or during hot weather. The water needs of the plant will be greater and the plant won’t have the roots required to provide enough water to the above-ground growth. Additionally, the heat of summer will already be putting stress on the plant and the additional stress of being transplanted may be more than many plants will tolerate resulting in the death of the plant. If transplanting in the summer is unavoidable: A) cut back approximately 1/3 to 1/2 of the above-ground growth to reduce the demand on the roots. B) remove all blooms and/or fruit on the plant to reduce the overall demands on the plant. C) mulch heavily with 3" to 6" of organic mulch such as "DULLED STRAW" or "LEAVES" to retain as much moisture as possible and cool the soil. D) Provide plenty of water. This may mean watering every day until they "BECOME ESTABLISHED" but never allow the soil to dry out or remain "SATURATED" . E) Expect high losses. Transplanting in the summer can result in losses as high as 50% or more even when all of the steps above are performed well and as high as 100% if you don't!
Unless it is absolutely necessary, avoid moving trees and shrubs. Moving trees and shrubs is very labor intensive and will inevitably "SET THE TREE OR SHRUB BACK" by as much as several years (depending on size and type). If trees and shrubs are involved, it is much better to plan the bed around them rather than them around the bed.
Each of us as gardeners enjoy at least a certain amount of change. Hopefully I have shown you that change can be good, profitable and just plain fun when done correctly and at the right time. But in our haste to change, never forget to take the time to see the countless little things that are going on in the garden at any given time. These truly are the individual brush strokes that make up that big picture we call a garden and make it truly a place of magic. So get out there and "Renew the View" but don’t neglect to get up close and personal. Then each of us can truly call ourselves "Gardeners" with the pride and knowledge we may change the view but we do indeed know what a garden truly is. Good luck and good gardening The "Hillbilly Gardener" Back To Top
Notes and Explanations to Terminology Used The definitions and explanation given here reflect what is normally meant when used in every day, common language and do not necessarily reflect a true and scientific definition. They are intended solely to explain an accepted concept or meaning. mature - The stage in a plants life when it has reached it’s full normal size and its continued growth in size slows dramatically or stops entirely. Many gardeners mistakenly will call a plant mature when it has reached the size and shape that they desire. However, this often is not a point when the plant has reached full maturity and the only way to keep it at this size and shape is through routine and regular pruning as the plant continues to try to reach its fully mature size. hoiking - The act of removing a plant (usually forcefully) and disposing of it. Thereby refusing to allow it to continue to grow in your garden.brassica's - Plants in the cabbage family, which include cabbage, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower and kales.frost heaving - When the ground is allowed to undergo cycles of freezing and thawing, the roots of plants can be broken or damaged as the ground expands and contracts. In extreme situations plants can be literally forced from the ground and will appear as if someone has been pulling the plant up and out of the ground. dulled straw - Straw that has been allowed to sit out in the weather and allowed to loose its normal shine. The color will turn from a bright shiny gold color to a dull brown or grey color and have a dull look. Grass will normally be seen sprouting from the straw as left over grain in the straw sprouts. Straw that has been protected from the elements and is a bright gold color and shiny is known as "bright straw". Bright straw can cause increased moisture loss in the leaves of plants and can actually burn the leaves of susceptible plants by reflecting increased levels of sunlight up to the undersides of leaves much like tiny mirrors. This phenomena is usually greatest on the lowest leaves of a plant. leaves - Leaves used for mulching should always be used in the ground or shredded form. Processing leaves is easiest done with a lawn mower of leaf vacuum. Unground leaves will have a tendency to clump and stick together, which in turn can form a crust like shell over the soil which can prevent air and water from reaching the soil. The aeration of leaves can be enhanced by the addition of approximately 1/3 (by volume) of ground straw. The addition of straw will also help to keep the leaves from breaking down as rapidly, thereby reducing the frequency that leaf mulch must be applied. become established - Once a plant exhibits continued, sustained growth it is starting to become established in its new location. At this point begin to cut back on the frequency and amount of extra watering that is done over a period of 2 or 3 weeks. If growth starts to slow, increase watering for another week or two and then try cutting back on extra watering again. When the plant reaches a point where sustained growth can be maintained without supplemental extra watering (beyond normal irrigation) then the plant can be considered established in its new home. saturated - As water is applied to soil, it surrounds the individual particles of soil due to the normal surface tension of the water. Each particle of soil can hold only a certain amount of moisture around it and the excess moisture will then drain away. This would be much like dipping a magnet into a bowl of B.B.’s and lifting it up. The magnet will hold onto only so many B.B.’s and the remainder will fall off. This would be the point where the soil is thoroughly moist and would still have naturally occurring minute pockets of air between the particles. This can be tested by lightly scooping up a handful of wet soil and using a fork or other pointed object, pick the soil ball apart. If the soil mostly falls apart into its individual grains, it is adequately moist. If the soil falls apart in clumps or balls of stuck together particles and has a shiny, wet look, it is probably saturated (this is assuming that you are not working with soil that is predominantly clay). This occurs when excess water is present and has filled the spaces between the individual particles of soil. This occurs when water is applied to the soil faster than it can drain away. When water fills the voids, air is forced out of the soil and is considered saturated. Saturation occurs naturally from rain or heavy applications of irrigation water. However, as long as the soil drains properly this temporary saturation corrects itself quickly and does no damage. It is the long term saturation of days or weeks that kills plants and causes gardeners concern. This is what normally is referred to when gardeners speak of saturated soil. The symptoms of soil saturation would include wilted and in the later stages discolored leaves. The only remediation for this problem is to have better drainage around the roots of the plant, either by moving it or digging the plant up and improving the soils drainage where it is planted. set the tree or shrub back - A plant being set back normally refers to a state where the roots have insufficient capacity to meet the demands of the above ground vegetation and therefore continued growth does not occur. This state of non-growth will continue until the roots have sufficient capacity to sustain the above ground vegetation AND provide extra capacity for growth. Additionally, set back can occur whenever the plant sustains a shock to its system such as in being transplanted. In this case the plant not only must recover from having a diminished root system, but must also recover from the shock to its system. Transplanting during or at the time of dormancy reduces the effects of shock because the plant is in a reduced metabolic state. Symptoms would include wilted and/or yellowing leaves, excessive leaf drop, lack of growth and outer new growth dying. These can be alleviated through extra watering and mulching. The addition of root stimulating transplant fertilizers can often speed the recovering process.Back To Top |
