The Low Maintenance Garden – Myths Exposed Together With Some Important Tips

Most homeowners are looking for ways to reduce the amount of time and money expended on the garden. The demand for a garden that is low in its maintenance requirements is one of the first things the designer or garden contractor tends to hear from prospective clients. Yet on the other hand, most people associate the term garden with the growing and enjoying of plants, which invariably involves at least some care, attention and maintenance.

While a garden almost bare of plants is a definite design option, and would be easy maintain, it is hardly what the average homeowner has in mind when dreaming of having a garden. How then can one have plenty of garden plants in the backyard, without it becoming both a time and money liability? On this subject, many myths abound, so let’s start demolishing them right now!

Weed Control

Dealing with weeds is on average the single most time-consuming horticultural activity. For this reason, many people cover the ground between the plants with a mulch of decorative stones or pebbles, in the anticipation that this prevents weeds from emerging. Admittedly, weeds are retarded to some extent, but overall, dealing with those that inevitably grow through the pebbles, becomes harder not easier. Decorative organic mulches like wood chippings are better at keeping down the weeds by inhibiting the germination of weed seeds.

Choosing Trees

There are many criteria to consider when choosing an ornamental or fruit tree for the garden, but from the low maintenance angle, the tree should be small enough to allow for pruning without having to call in a tree surgeon at enormous expense every few years. So before planting a plane tree that is going to reach over 20 meters in maturity, think about how you are going to look after it in the years to come. In any case, a common design mistake is to choose a tree that is too large and therefore out of scale with the size of the plot.

Climbers and Vines

Rampant vines – the plants that create an unmanageable tangle – really make gardening work a pain in the neck, (not to speak of another part of the anatomy) or cause you to spend a lot of money on a gardener to clear up the chaos. Because they tend to grow rapidly, often covering walls, fences and other surfaces without assistance, the widespread illusion is that are low maintenance plants. As the unsuspecting find out to their cost, the exact opposite is usually the case. My suggestion is to avoid such plants like the plague. Shrubs and bushes with neat form, and delicate foliage are both easier to handle, although they need regular clipping, and are more suited aesthetically, to the small space of the average backyard plot.

Lawns

Contrary to popular opinion, lawns are relatively east to maintain, providing the contours of the grass are simple and the lines clean. Squiggly edges are difficult to keep neat and eat up valuable time and trouble. Edging materials make work with the mechanical strimmer (“weed whacker”) easier and more efficient. A practice that leads to more problematical maintenance is to plant the hedging or border plants too close to the grass, although plants spilling over onto the lawn add a more flowing, natural feel to the garden. As usual, the good things in life cost some time and money.

Bedding Plants

The great myth in gardening is that herbaceous perennials require less care and attention, while annuals are much more labor intensive. A few perennials admittedly, are relatively stable elements in the garden, like Agapanthus or most ornamental grasses, but as a rule, a border based on perennials will take up more time, (cutting back, dividing, transplanting etc) than one replaced en masse two or three times a year with annuals.

Nandina domestica – A Wonderful Landscape Bush For Creating An Emphasis In The Garden

Emphasis plants are those that are different to some degree to the mass of plants with which they associate. Their design purpose is to create a gentle or subtle contrast, not an especially dramatic one. The landscape bush, Nandina domestica, sometimes known as Heavenly Bamboo, is a perfect example of an emphasis plant, especially when combined with landscape shrubs of delicate, leaf texture.

Nandina has a clear, upright form, reaching some 2 meters (6 ft) in height, with a spread of about 1 meter. (3 ft) As its common name implies, it has some similarity in appearance to bamboo, with lightly branched, thin stems, and delightfully delicate, lacy foliage. It is most effective when planted in a small group in front of screening shrubs, which are either trimmed as neat hedges, or loosely shaped. Possessing delicate leaf texture itself, it looks incongruous next to course-leaved plants such as Hibiscus.

A very charming feature of Nandina domestica is its changing leaf color through the year, despite it being an evergreen bush. Young foliage has a bronze tint, which turns to a soft, light, green. In the fall, purplish, bronze tints return, while in cold winter climates, the whole plant can be a fiery, bright red. The white flowers are not especially attractive, but the red berries that follow can add a stunning dimension to the shrubbery. For the berries to be numerous enough to make an effective show, plant a number of specimens together, as single plants do not fruit heavily.

Nandina domestica originates from China and Japan, but is suitable for Mediterranean and dry climate gardens under certain conditions. It is hardy to any cold that a Mediterranean winter is likely to produce, and recovers from temperatures lower than -15c. Although not an arid region plant, its water needs are modest, and considering that as an emphasis plant it is best used sparingly, it can be combined with water conserving shrubs like Pistachio, Sumac and Myrtle. The heat and intense light of a Mediterranean summer are more problematical however, and in such climates the plant is best grown in light shade or filtered sun.

Another limiting factor is the alkaline soils typical of most arid regions. Nandina is subject to chlorosis in alkaline conditions, (high pH) where the inability to take up certain mineral nutrients causes a yellowing of the leaves. For this reason avoid planting it next to walls, as residues of building material like cement, raise the pH to problematical levels. Other than in extreme cases, the easiest way to reduce the soil’s alkalinity is to add massive amounts of compost and other organic matter prior to planting, and modest quantities as part of a regular maintenance regime. This should take care of all the feeding requirements of the plant, without the need for adding chemical fertilizer.

Excessive, indiscriminate pruning, spoils the natural shape of Nandina, Eventually though, mature specimens will become top-heavy and bare of foliage towards the ground. This is easily rectified by occasionally pruning old canes to the ground, rather as one should prune Barberry plants, (Berberis thunbergii) which belong to the same botanical family, and with which Nandina domestica combines so well.

Growing Roses – How To Succeed In A Mediterranean Climate

Getting the best out of your roses depends on choosing the right varieties, and planting them in the appropriate location. You cannot expect the rose bushes to perform well, if you’ve planted them in the shade, or the soil has not been properly prepared prior to planting. Nonetheless, a great deal depends on the horticultural practices you adopt season by season. However, successfully growing roses in a dry, Mediterranean climate is not as difficult as you might think if you carry out a few basic tasks properly.

Watering

Most of the cultivated varieties require regular watering in the summer. This does not mean though, that the bushes should be swimming in water. On the contrary, permanently saturated soil will cause the roses to wither as quickly as a lack of moisture. So ideally, watering should be spaced to allow the top soil to dry out to some degree.

Drip irrigation is undoubtedly preferable to using overhead sprinklers as the latter encourage fungal infections, while wasting more water as well. Roses in Mediterranean climates with the exception of some natural species, require water based on some 5-6 liters per square meter a day. This thirsty consumption rate, means that the number of rose bushes has to be restricted in favor of more water conserving shrubs and bushes. Replenish the organic mulch layer when necessary, to keep the topsoil cool, and further preserve water.

Feeding

Roses are hungry feeders in intensely cultivated conditions and need a ready supply of nutrient in order to grow well and flower profusely. It is not essential however to use immediately soluble, chemical fertilizer. In my opinion, it is better to create superior soil conditions by regularly adding compost or worm castings, than “juicing up” the plants with chemical fertilizer. When planting in poor soil, it may be necessary though to add some slow release fertilizer to the planting hole.

Pruning

In the mild winter climates typical of the Mediterranean and similar climates, there is no need to prune the roses almost down to the ground, as is the custom in cold winter areas. It is simply a waste of the plant’s energy. Instead, you can take off a third to a half from the height of the plants. Old stems should occasionally be removed to make way for juvenile ones.

In mild winter regions, the roses should not be pruned at the beginning of the winter, but towards the end, shortly before the plants emerge from their dormancy. This is to avoid encouraging premature growth during the occasional warm spells in the winter, only for that growth to be damaged by late frosts. Such an occurrence, is the perfect breeding ground for rot to develop in the wood of the plants, as a result of bacterial or fungal infection.

Planting Rose Bushes – The Five Essential Steps For Success

Roses have traditionally been considered virtually compulsory elements in the ornamental garden. Their star has waned somewhat in recent years, partly because of inadequate design knowledge with some home gardeners, but mainly due to poor horticultural practices that invariably result in disappointing performance and appearance from the roses. Incorrect planting procedures are often the primary cause of failure and disillusion with the “Queen of the Garden”, but carrying out five essential steps properly, can almost guarantee success and years of delight from the rose bushes.

Step 1 - Location

Roses need full sun to grow and flower well. A shady spot, or one which receives less than about 6 hours of direct sunlight, will result in poor, weak growth. Secondly, roses compete badly with the roots of nearby trees and shrubs, so plan your rose bed some distance from other woody plants. In order to lessen the incidence of fungal infection, choose a spot with plenty of airflow between the bushes.

Step 2 – Soil Preparation

While roses require ready access to moisture, the soil must be well aerated as well, so any drainage problems should be sorted out before planting. Thorough preparation of the soil is therefore a precondition for success. In addition to eliminating weeds and breaking up clods, copious quantities of well-rotted compost and worm castings will improve water retention in sandy spoils, and aeration in clay ones. In both cases, compost should be mixed in with the soil at a rate of at least 30 liters per square meter.

It is worth noting that roses planted in soil where roses were previously grown, are liable to develop unsatisfactorily. In such cases, soil should be removed and replaced to a depth of about 40-50cm (20in). If this proves to be too difficult or expensive an operation, then it would be better to find an alternative to rose bushes.

Step 3 – Correct Spacing Between Plants

Many inexperienced gardeners make their big mistake at this point. The natural tendency is to plant as close as possible to create a “stronger” effect. The effect most usually attained however is weak, spindly growth as the bushes struggle in competition with each other, and because of their greater vulnerability to fungi like mildew and rust. While it is common to space landscape shrubs so that they overlap with each other, roses should be spaced a bit beyond their natural spread.

Step 4 – The Actual Planting

If you can wait until the dormant season, then planting bare-root has many advantages over planting from containers, largely because it is possible to examine the root system of the specimens on sale. The roots should not be knotted in any way; they should be evenly spaced, and ought to be unblemished and undamaged.

The depth and width of the planting hole must comfortably contain the roots of the bush. Place the plant so that the bud union sits just above the soil’s surface; if it is too high, the plant will not receive adequate support from the ground, but if sunken into the ground, new shoots often fail to emerge from the bud union. Build a mound of soil underneath the roots before returning the excavated soil to the planting hole, gently pressing it close to the roots with your fingers. The purpose is to maximize the points of contact between the roots and the soil particles.

Step 5 – Watering and Mulching

If planting from containers in the summer, then immediate watering is of course vital to prevent the plants from drying out. Specimens planted bare root in the winter need watering with a gentle flow from the hose, to settle the soil around the roots. It is common practice to dig a basin around each plant for collecting rainwater. This is fine as long as the water drains rapidly. A newly planted bush sitting in a pool of water for a few days is unlikely to survive through to the spring.

Finally, spreading an organic mulch around the plants (but not right up to the stems) will keep the roots cool during hot weather, while preventing soil erosion from heavy rain.

Landscape Gardening - Selecting Rose Bushes For A Dry Mediterranean Garden

From a landscape gardening point of view, roses, traditionally known as the “Queen of the Garden”, are still unmatched in the color design options they provide. For magnificent flowers and a powerful color composition, rose bushes are still number one. Although there are many cultural requirements to consider while selecting rose bushes, it is worthwhile to be clear from the outset, as to the design role they are meant to play in the garden.

A group of roses should either fit into the garden’s color scheme, or be the starting point, perhaps the focal point from which the other plants and garden elements take their cue. If a hot or warm color theme were wanted, then the reds, oranges, and deep yellows are suitable. Alternatively, a blotch of crimson or Bordeaux flowers in a garden that is predominantly pastel, would probably strike a discordant note. Randomly throwing colors together is simply poor taste and can never create a satisfying composition.

The intensity of the sun light either enhances or dissipates the quality of different colors. The pastel colors like sky blue, pink and pale lemon for example, look at their best in the soft light of Britain or Ireland, but weak and insipid in the harsh, fierce sun light of a Mediterranean or Southern Californian summer. If roses could be successfully grown in the shade or even filtered sun, then pastel colored flowers might be fine, but as they need a good six hours a day of direct sun, the hot colors tend to be more effective in such climates.

Roses are classified into a number of groups, which not only indicate the size of the bush itself, but also the form and shape of the blooms. Hybrid tea roses, such as the varieties, Chrysler Imperial, Papa Meilland, or Peace, typically have large individual flowers. They are best close to entrances and walkways, where the architectural wonder of the flowers’ form can be appreciated. Many of course are highly fragrant as well.

The individual flower of the floribunda group is far less noteworthy than those of the hybrid teas, but as they produce massive quantities of flowers, the actual color effect of floribunda roses is often more spectacular, if used wisely, than their hybrid tea, or grandiflora counterparts. They are best planted therefore in larger groups, preferably in front of a wall or fence, which supply a quiet background to the rose bushes. The famous Iceberg variety is one example of a white flowering, floribunda rose, while Goldilocks, and Ginger sport yellow and orange blooms respectively.

Two other design uses of roses are as climbers on pillars and arches, or grown as espaliers trained horizontally on a wall. The great advantage in both cases is that the plants look passably good all year round, and not only when in flower. However, when in full bloom, they really come into their own. I particularly love the dramatic contrast of the dark red flowers of Don Juan on a whitewashed wall. A harmonious composition on the other hand would involve pale yellow flowers on a wall painted in ochre. Although such a combination might be less suitable in the bright, severe, Mediterranean light, it is quite a sumptuous thought nonetheless!

Growing Roses In A Dry Mediterranean Climate – Some Essential Water Conserving Tips

Roses have traditionally been considered the “Queen of the Garden”. Despite the vast range of flowering plants available to the gardener, the rose at its best, is still unmatched for flower beauty and sometimes for delicious fragrance as well. Yet roses have been falling out of favor over the past decade or so, especially in dry climates, largely because of their relatively high consumption of water.

The average cultivated variety for example requires about 4-5 liters for every square meter a day in a Mediterranean summer, compared to some flowering shrubs like Plumbago or Grevillea that perform perfectly well on a quarter or less, of that rate. However used wisely, roses can be incorporated into the garden within the confines of a low water-use budget. Here then are some water conserving methods of growing roses.

*Keep the roses bushes away from plants that need modest quantities of water. Group them instead with other thirsty species, and irrigate them on a separate regime. Roses perform poorly in any case when competing with the roots of trees and other shrubs.

*Obviously, it makes sense to limit their numbers, and you do not need a huge number of specimens to create a wonderful effect. A small group of five scarlet red floribundas by a whitewashed wall for instance, may be all you need, or you could plant one or two large climbers like “Golden Showers” and the deep crimson “Don Juan”.

Another way of covering a relatively large space with one specimen is to plant a large variety such as “Chrysler Imperial” on a wall, and to train the juvenile branches to grow horizontally on the wall. This method is known as the espalier technique and in addition to the pleasing architectural effect created, is a way of greatly increasing the quantity of flowers that the plant produces. All this on the water use of just one plant!

*Although less spectacular as flowering shrubs, species or shrub roses, such as Rosa rugosa can be planted as part of the shrubbery. As a rule, their water needs are similar to the modest consumers.

*Drip irrigation is far better than overhead sprinklers for watering the rose bushes, for the amount of water can be accurately calculated and then applied with virtually no waste from wind or run-off. Furthermore, fungal infections such as powdery mildew are reduced, although it may be necessary to wash down the foliage a few times through the summer.

*Spreading an organic mulch around the roses goes hand in hand with drip irrigation as a way of saving water. Mulching reduces the temperature of the top soil, allowing for more efficient water and nutrient uptake, while water is wasted by overhead sprinkling, as a certain percentage is absorbed by the mulch before it reaches the soil.

Feeding by means of organic composts improves both the water retention properties of the soil, and its air percentage at the same time. Although cultivated roses are heavy feeders, ample quantities of compost, applied in the spring and the autumn, should be sufficient inmost cases.

How To Save Water In The Garden While Enjoying Amazing Color At The Same Time!

Saving water in Mediterranean and other dry climate climates is becoming a matter of critical importance for gardeners. It is often thought though, that saving water has to be at the expense of beauty; that water conservation is synonymous with a dull, colorless garden. Admittedly, annual flowers are the largest consumers of water compared to other groups of plants, but color can be attained by using plants that once established, consume about 5 times less water over the year. Too good to be true? Read on.

Firstly, there is no shortage of landscape trees that supply wonderful seasonal color, either from their flowers or from their fruit. Many like Hawthorns, Judas tree, Acacias, Albizia, and Lagerstroemia can be grown on a tight water budget. Similarly, plenty of shrubs and bushes that sport colorful blooms require some 100-200 mm of water a year once established, compared to annual flowers that need at least 1000 mm a year in Mediterranean climates, and a lot more in desert regions. Grevillea, Callistemon, Alyogyne, Lilacs, and Cotoneasters are but a few examples of such landscape shrubs.

It is worth noting that some shrubs and vine-like plants, actually flower more profusely in arid conditions than in constantly moist ones. Bougainvillea for instance, reacts to temporary drought, by producing more flowers, while if permanently wet, will tend to grow more foliage. An established Bougainvillea plant can look superb; a mass of red or deep purple on a white-washed wall, on 3 or 4 deep waterings through the summer. Plumbago auriculata, with its mass of sky-blue flowers is another case in point.

Plants with purple, silver, or golden foliage, are an excellent way of adding color to the garden, while remaining water-wise at the same time. The thorny bush, Berberis thunbergii “atropurpurea” is well known, but many home gardeners might be surprised to learn that some ornamental grasses and grass like plants, such as the purple leaved varieties of Pennisetum setaceum or Phormium tenax, (New Zealand flax) fall into this category too. Let’s not forget either, the wide range of silver-leaved and glaucous herbs like Artemisia, some sages, and oregano.

There are even some herbaceous perennials, like Agapanthus and Limonium (Sea Lavender) that can get by on about 300-400 mm a year, while the amazing color performance of succulent ice plants (such as Lampranthus and Drosanthemun) can be achieved virtually without any additional irrigation. The reason for this is that the plants are active from autumn to spring, but enter into a form of dormancy during the summer, during which there is no need to water at all.

Catharanthus roseus – An Annual Flowering Plant That Can Save You A Lot Of Water

One of the main drawbacks of growing annual flowering plants in Mediterranean and other dry climate regions is their excessive water consumption. Annuals in hot, dry summer areas require water based on at least 6mm a day, which is 6 liters per square meter. Over the year, this can amount to more than a cubic meter of irrigation water for every meter square – an unviable and unacceptable rate, unless the area planted with annual flowers is reduced to a minimum. Catharanthus roseus however, can be successfully grown, creating a lovely carpet of color, on a third, perhaps a quarter of that amount, thereby saving you much water and expense.

Catharanthus roseus is also known by its common name, Madagascar Periwinkle, or the very misleading Vinca rosea. As the latter is the botanical name for a separate genus of plants, it’s best avoiding in order to prevent confusion. The plants, technically speaking, are perennials, but because they decline as soon as the temperatures drop in the autumn, they are generally grown as summer annual plants, except in tropical regions.

There are many cultivars of Catharanthus now available, the colors ranging from pure white, pinkish-white, and various shades of rose and pink-purple. The erect varieties reach up to 50 cm, (20 in) while the trailing types get to about 15cm (6 in) in height. In addition to the impressive and virtually continuous blooms through the summer, the dark green, waxy foliage is also attractive. Grown in bold, broad sweeps, it can create a fabulous effect.

As Madagascar Periwinkle needs full sun to flower, the darker, stronger hues are more suited to the harsh light of a Mediterranean summer, than the paler, more pastel shades, which are at their best in soft light or shade. White flowers, which may be excellent for lifting up a shady corner, are far less effective in full, brilliant sun.

Other than full sun, the most important cultural requirement for the plants is a well-drained soil. Poor drainage will kill the plants quicker than aridity. This is what makes Catharanthus so suitable to water-conserving gardening, because the plants can be watered deeply but infrequently, together with the trees and shrubs. Such a regime is especially important in heavy, clay soils, where lack of air in the root zone is exacerbated by the constant moisture required by most annual flowers.

It follows therefore, that consistently adding compost and other organic amendments will create an air/moisture balance in the soil, which is beneficial to the periwinkle. A high organic content also helps to reduce pests and disease by creating balanced population levels between the multitudes of organisms that inhabit the soil, including pathogenic ones.

Catharanthus roseus is hardy to chalky and saline soil, and to both aridity and humidity, but nonetheless vulnerable to soil-borne fungi. Unfortunately, the pathogenic fungi establish themselves best when Catharanthus is planted every year in the same spot. It is safer therefore, to rotate the “crops” from year to year, planting water-conserving perennial flowers, and replacing them with the Madagascar Periwinkle, once every few years.