University of Vermont Extension
Department of Plant and Soil Science
Anytime News
Article
EVALUATING
YOUR GARDEN
Dr. Leonard Perry, Extension Professor
University of Vermont
When is the last time you stepped
back to take a good look at your garden and landscape to assess if
changes are
needed, and to make plans if so? Just as
plants grow and gardens change physically, our lifestyles and physical
needs
change as well. Perhaps it is time to
evaluate whether your gardens and landscape need physical changes
regarding
soil, pruning, bed renovation, the addition of raised beds, lawn
reduction, or
even adding new landscaping.
You should begin your evaluation
with the soil, as it is the key to all your plant growth. The
type of soil likely hasn't changed, but
the fertility may have. The acidity in
many eastern soils slowly drops over time, so you may need to add some
lime. The fertility may be low, or if
you've been fertilizing it may be high, with no more needed. This
is especially true for perennials, and
for phosphorus that tends to stick around in soils or wash off into
streams. If you haven't done a soil test
in the last couple of years, you can find kits for this at garden
stores and
local Extension offices.
Have those cute little shrubs and
trees you planted a few years back, perhaps too close together, now
grown
together? If so, some may need removing
or cutting out, or transplanting if not too large. This is often
the case for foundation
plantings that now obscure windows and block doors.
If shrubs are too large, you can
prune some such as forsythia and red-twig dogwoods back to
the ground and they'll resprout (blooms may not return for a couple
years). Or you can remove a third of
older branches each year. Some gardeners
like the clipped look, in which case you can shear some shrubs such as
yews
back yearly (or plant new ones with this desired shape). If too
large, you may want to shear shrubs a
few inches a year to avoid a scalped look.
If trees have gotten too large, and
you want more sun, you can either pay a professional to have them
removed if
large, or thin out branches to allow more light. You may need to
change the plants growing
under them to shade-lovers, especially if existing ones there are tall
and
leggy with few blooms-- signs they get too little light.
Then there is the physical aspect of
landscapes that have gotten too large.
It is easy to add a bed or two each year, plant more plants, or expand
the vegetable garden. Over time,
especially if you have less time or energy to garden now, your
landscape may be
out of control and getting the best of you.
Consider whether it is time to transplant some key perennials or
shrubs,
allowing the beds to "go natural", or else take them out all
together.
The same applies to lawns. Is yours too much to maintain, both in
time
and cost? Perhaps you want to mow less
to have less pollution impact on the environment. Consider
putting in some groundcovers in
masses, especially under trees where grass grows poorly. Turn
sharp corners into smooth ones that are
quicker and easier to mow. Adding some
beds of shrubs, underlain with weed fabric and covered with mulch, will
reduce
mowing and maintenance.
Consider
allowing areas to just grow-- not really "no mow" but just mowing
once or twice a year. The key to having
such areas not look weedy is to define edges, and have maintained lawn
around,
so they are obviously a "natural zone" with a purpose. You can
explain to guests that such natural
areas are much better for beneficial insects, pollinators such as
butterflies,
and many other good garden lifeforms as in the soil.
Deer have become a major issue in
landscapes in recent years, perhaps more so than when you began
gardening or
planting. If so you may need to evaluate
if you can just add some deterrents such as smell or taste (sprays for
instance), or need to go for some kind of fencing to exclude
them. Perhaps just an observation of main entry
points to your landscape by deer, and putting barriers there will
help. At such sites, or around special plants,
consider plants they don't like such as daffodils around tulips, and
herbs
around annuals.
Then there is the aspect of your own
physical energy, and perhaps time. If
these are less, perhaps you need to pull back on the gardens and focus
on main
interests and key areas. I've done this,
only planting annuals now in a few highly visible spots that are easy
to water
and to maintain. Consider
low-maintenance plants, either for replacements for existing ones or
new
plantings. Putting the right plant in
the right place (matching soil and light in particular) goes a long way
to less
maintenance and better success. Raised
beds usually are easier to maintain that larger gardens, and are easier
on
aging joints and backs.
The physical changes needed may not
be to reduce or just change, but to expand landscaping and
plantings. If you added a structure recently such as
deck, patio, or walk, does it now need landscaping? Containers
are an easy way to have mobile
landscaping on paved areas.
Gardens are one of the main places
one can retreat to from a stressful life and to recharge. You'll
find that having a garden and
landscape that is manageable and under control, as you want it, will be
much
more satisfying. Even if it is,
evaluating it for changes to aesthetics and trends can make it more
interesting
and fun.
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