|
|
|
*
Planting
How well you choose and grow your plants
will probably make the greatest difference between having a beautiful,
easy to maintain garden, that looks good all year round or one that
has you constantly pruning, spraying, weeding and feeding.
Grow suitable plants for your site, soil
and conditions, they will be healthier and need least attention. .
Healthier plants look at their best.
Choose plants and varieties of plants
with care, know the eventual size of what you are planting, Less need
for pruning will enable the plant to grow to its optimum shape and
size; and don't plant very vigorous or 'spready' plants in the ground,
if in doubt keep them potted.
Grow a wide range of plants, to encourage
an equally wide range of birds, insects and beneficial organisms.
Plenty of flowers to attract bees. Many wild or native plants are very
garden worthy or have improved relations with the same advantages as
the wild ones. Look especially for plants that will attract
butterflies, from Bergenia in February to Rudbekia or Sunflower in the
autumn; and don't forget the many plants that are specific larval food
plants that they need, on which to lay their eggs.
Have in your garden a backbone planting
of evergreens, gold and varigated forms of both shrubs and conifers.
This will ensure at least some colour and interest during the winter
months.
Deciduous and evergreen shrubs that have
flowers, autumn leaf, colour, berries, bark colour, good size and
shape will give you colour, scent, bird and insect habitat all year
round.
Remember that there are usually many
different varieties of any plant, some of which may be very small
alpine varieties, others very large, almost tree sized in many cases.
This gives a useful clue to the many
large shrubs that can be grown to full size if you are looking for
small trees, e.g. Caenothus, Forsythia, Philadelphus, Escalonia.
Be very careful when planting trees. The
right tree in the right place will give years of joy to both you and
your neighbours, but if you get it wrong it can be a seriously
expensive mistake in terms of work, expense, and spoilt neighbourly
relations. Know what you are planting, its potential height and
spread, depth and extent of shade, in summer and winter, decicuous or
evergreen. Leaf and or fruit litter and any bad habits like surface
rooting or attracting aphids.