GARDENERS continually face a wide range of issues that challenge their ability to solve problems in an environmentally friendly, cost effective and expedient manner.
To help everyone solve some of the most common problems faced in the garden here is part of my problem-solver toolkit.
"Something is eating my plants." Notches, holes and shredded leaves are common in gardens, especially where plants are excessively fertilized or the wrong plant is growing in the wrong place. Before you try to control an insect pest, be sure there is a pest left to control.
Often, pest damage is noticed after the pest has eaten and left the scene. Every pest can be found on or in the vicinity of the damage. If you can't find it, it's probably gone, meaning it's too late to do anything about the problem.
Some plants are chronically attacked by insects, which is an indication of the wrong plant in the wrong place. If you cannot bend your mind to realize that plants need to be placed in suitable growing conditions and some plants may need relocation or termination, then you will have to bend your wallet.
"The weeds are tall enough to hide my children." As a society we spend millions of dollars annually picking, pulling, hoeing and spraying the same weeds over and over again to the detriment of our wallets and natural resources. Either we are all uninformed, or we like continually throwing money at solving the same problem, or our sense of garden presentation is motivated by some outdated cultural norm lingering from the 1950s: an unmulched black soil look often incorrectly equated with a well maintained garden. Regardless of the motivation, if you've got weeds, you've got to mulch. I have continually extolled the many highly beneficial virtues of mulching in this column and there are no negative aspects to mulching. Mulch does not bring ants or other pests into the garden. Mulch does not dramatically alter the soil's pH or prevent water from reaching the soil. And mulch is not a fire hazard; people are a fire hazard.
Mulch should be applied two to three inches thick over the entire bed right up to the base of plants without burying them and be maintained year round without ever digging it into the soil.
"My plants are too big." Aren't plants supposed to grow big? Isn't maturity virtue realized? Big plants are only a problem if they are causing a real health, safety, lighting or growing problem. If you planted a redwood next to the house and the foundation is starting to lift out of the ground, well, that's a problem. But just because a tree or shrub grows big does not mean it's a problem or that it's going to fall over.
Unless there is a negative affect on surrounding plants then big is beautiful, so please, avoid the hedge shear or chainsaw. As gardens mature plants can become unbalanced from a design perspective at which time careful and skilful pruning intervention is necessary. Pruning to rebalance plants should be done in a progressive manner, one cut at a time, while considering the entire context and value of the plant collection. Big, old plants are impossible to replace at the same size and old plants add to a property's value. Pruning and transplanting can dramatically enhance presentation, plant health and maintain the garden's sense of place at a significantly lower cost versus replacement.
"I want to build it myself." I admire people who have the courage to build something themselves. Anyone can talk but using your mind to build with your hands melds creativity, knowledge and execution into one beautiful outcome. Some of the most inspirational gardens I have seen are built by people who have had an idea and the courage to implement it.
If you are building hardscape structures in the garden, do some research before you start. Talk to professionals and other gardeners to learn how to build things safely and durably. Failure is an opportunity to learn and individuality is the genesis of creativity, so don't be afraid to do it yourself but know your limitations.
"I can't keep up with all the gardening work." That's a common refrain I hear from many people these days. When I hear those words it's either one of two problems: The workload is self imposed or the wrong type of work is being done.
Gardening is supposed to be enjoyable and clarifying for mind and body. Don't focus on buying products to fix problems, getting caught up in garden-trend surfing or competing with the Joneses. Instead focus on working with the powerful rhythms of nature to solve problems, use your mind, express your own individuality and most importantly as Joseph Campbell said, "Find your bliss."
Todd Major is a journeyman horticulturist, garden designer-builder, teacher, skills trainer and organic advocate. [email protected]
