Sometimes I am asked, how do you decide how many plants to buy, and how closely to plant them?
It’s a great question! No one wants to waste money on an excessive number of plants. You have probably heard the advice to always buy at least 3 or 5 of something rather than 1 or 2. But if you aren’t confident that the plant will be a good fit for your yard, it can be hard to take the plunge and buy what feels like a large number of plants. (More)
Read MoreThere are so many Chesapeake native plants. How in the world do you prioritize which ones you’re going to grow in your own landscape?
…Don’t do a complete master plan. If you are just starting out, I suggest you don’t do a complete master plan, down to an actual detailed plant list with quantities, of the entire yard. It takes a lot of time to do that, and I can almost guarantee that you will not implement what you initially plan.
Here is what I suggest instead. Do just part 1 for the entire yard: a rough sketch outline from purely a Form and Function perspective. You can do this yourself, or get some professional advice if you want to expand your pool of ideas… (Read more)
Read MoreMany pollinator perennials really are quite tall…
…I know of a good dozen or so straight species plants that are naturally shorter. A good half of this group are also ground-hugging, at least semi-evergreen, and/or mat-forming, which makes them super useful from not only a wildlife perspective, but also in reducing erosion, evaporation, unwanted weeds, and even winter blahs!
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I don’t garden much in July and August. Really, almost not at all. You won’t find me out there except to take a brief stroll through, and maybe to clean and refill the bird baths. Mostly I just sit on my screen porch, watching for bees and drinking tea!
How I avoid summer weeding… (more)
Read MoreThere are several native shrubs that are good to know about, for planting around a home. These shrubs tend to be what we call “foundation” shrubs, because they can be planted around the foundation of the house with good results.
To be considered a foundation shrub, a plant needs to be generally neat in appearance with relatively little maintenance. They are also usually less than 5 or 6’ tall at maturity, in order to avoid blocking windows.
Read MoreOur Chesapeake native grasses and sedges —particularly the ones that are clump-forming and deep rooted—can play a key role in a low maintenance, native landscape.
Read More…The garden I’m planting will likely be maintained by me for only a year, at which point we're planning to return to Annapolis. Then after that by whomever rents this house in the future...better to stick with not-so-finicky plants…
Read MoreSometimes people ask if it's OK to prune in summer. My answer to that is if you're pruning out dead growth, the sooner the better. However if you are shaping a tree or massively cutting something back because it's gotten too large, it is generally best to wait until late winter. And of course if you are doing fancy-pants things like pruning to enhance bloom or fruit, then you get into whether the plant in question is early- or late-season blooming, and other issues that are species-specific.
Read MoreI've been thinking about plugs vs. quarts or gallons. If you need to cover a large area with perennials, plugs can certainly save you some money. Since 5" deep landscape plugs run only a few dollars each, and are easy to plant, they can make for a quick, inexpensive installation.
But they are small, vulnerable, and might not bloom the first year. Which pretty much sums up where you should not use them.
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It's spring, and the ephemerals and other shade dwellers are looking enchanted! What do you have happening in your shade gardens right now? Are you looking for some ideas?
Photo above is the beguiling Shooting star, growing in the shade of mature oaks and hollies. And below (in newsletter were) favorites Virginia bluebells and Golden goundsel, planted beneath a flowering dogwood but additionally shaded by tall oaks and a hickory tree in the backyard. (More…)
