notes and musings from a perennial gardener
Great gardens don’t invent themselves. In fact they can be a lot of work to create. Here are my suggestions for making the task of creating (or revitalizing) a perennial garden from scratch easier and more satisfying.
To begin, dedicate a small notebook to your gardening projects or use an app like Google Keep. Don’t rush the planning stage. Jot down the answers to these questions, and track your progress.
All of us end up revamping our landscape or garden at some point, whether it’s because plants died and need replacing, we’re having hardscape installed, or a flowerbed has become overgrown and needs an overhaul.
Here’s where a written landscape plan is invaluable. If your needs involve significant hardscaping like laying pavers or excavating a retaining wall or pool, you will want to hire a professional. But for simpler garden makeovers, drawing up your own plan is easy, costs nothing and is exceedingly helpful.
This article covers two types of plans: A simple sketch that anyone can do, based on my own plan to refurbish my front bed. And a much more complex plan intended for large properties, or just for fun.
Many of us admire the beauty and romance of English gardens, from formal estates to simple cottage plots. Clipped parteres, pleached lime allees, thatched bungalow pastorals, walled kitchen enclaves — the United Kingdom is unrivaled for its iconic gardens and soaring arboretums.
Blessed with a mild rainy climate and a wealth of plant collections, no other nation has elevated horticulture quite the way the British have. Indeed, gardening there is practically a national past-time. Even city dwellers cherish their “allotments” and balcony pots.
It’s tempting to want to recreate these looks in a North American landscape. But our vastly different growing conditions can make success with many English cultivars a challenge. But there are ways to merge English ideas with American innovation to get comparable, if not entirely authentic outcomes. The results can be just as lovely.
What are some ways to do this? Here’s one approach to get you thinking. Feel free to borrow or adapt whatever appeals to you.