Hugelkulture.

This time of year I see lots of leaf bags filled with sticks, branches and leaves waiting to be picked up by the trash guy. Instead of that why not try hugelkulture? Hugelkulture, pronounced Hoo-gul-culture, means hill culture or hill mound. It’s a very simple method of gardening which involves layering logs, branches, leaves, grass clippings, cardboard, and compost and then topping with soil before planting. It’s the ultimate no-dig gardening.

There are many benefits to hugelkuture. For one the decaying logs provide long-term nutrients to the soil. In addition, the logs produce heat as they decompose, basically creating a warmer microclimate,  which will allow you to garden longer into the season. Compaction is a problem that is avoided with hugelkulture because as the logs and branches break down they increase soil aeration. Decaying wood also acts like a sponge and means water is stored and released as needed. Less watering is a bonus as summers heat up and water bans are implemented. Because hugelkutlure creates a hill garden it is easier to harvest – no bending required. This is a benefit I am appreciating more and more as I get older!

I have a steep hill behind my garden that goes down to the street. In my own way I have been playing with hugelkulture (or at least trying to level things out). I threw some logs in at first then added branches, then various waste from client jobs (evergreen trimmings, pumpkins from fall, old plants, etc.) Threw in some grass clippings, chopped up leaves and then more plant waste. Once the area is level, I will add soil and plant.

If you try hugelkulture you will save so much money on leaf bags you can buy more plants!

Power Couples.

I have a presentation with the same name and in it I share perennials that work well together, not unlike the Power Couples seen in Hollywood and business. Fall is a great time of year to assess your garden and see where there might be areas that could use a little tweaking. The trick with matchmaking, in this case creating your own Power Couple, is to make sure individual plants will work well together. They must be enough alike – have the same light and moisture requirements, for example. But they should also have differences. It’s the differences that will provide the excitement. For instance, a daisy shaped flower contrasted with a spike, or a finely textured plant contrasted with a coarse texture.

In a successful Power Couple one member is not going to take over – each hold their own but bring something a little different to the table. If you are looking to create a fall Power Couple and you have sedum in your garden, why not introduce some maiden grass, Miscanthus? The complimentary colors and contrasting textures are beautiful. ‘Redhead’ is another wonderful ornamental grass that would be a great partner. If you have monkshood, Aconitum, in your garden consider pairing it with the yellow finely textured fall foliage of blue star, Amsonia hubrichtii.

I love playing matchmaker in the garden and I bet you will too.

Click on image below to see plant names

 

Seed Starting Hack.

This is the time of year where many of us gardeners find ourselves knee deep in seed catalogs. After all, who can resist the lure of growing your own (unusual) plant material? Not me.

There are some great seed catalogs out there. I especially love Annie’s Heirloom Seeds, Prairie Moon Nursery, Baker Creek, Select Seeds, Hudson Valley and Renee’s Garden Seeds. These beautiful catalogs are as irresistible to me as hosta are to deer.  I spend hours drooling over the glorious pictures dreaming about what I will grow. However, I prefer to spend my money on the actual seeds and plants rather than all the paraphernalia that comes with growing them. Rather than buy the little grow kits with domed lids let me share a seed starting hack.  It involves using something you already have – toilet paper. I assume you do use toilet paper? 

Start by saving your empty rolls. Next make a series of 1 to 1 1/2-inch cuts around one end of the roll, approximately a half an inch apart, which you will then fold into the center of the roll to create your bottom. If they are wobbly you can put them in a hard-sided container, or simply tie the rolls together with twine for stability. Finally fill with seed starting mix and plant. Water according to planting instructions and when it is time to transplant into the garden you can drop the whole thing in! Just make sure none of the roll extends above the soil surface as it will wick water from the roots of the plants. The cardboard will break down so it has the benefits of peat pots but is more environmentally friendly.

If you prefer to start seeds in a reusable container K-cups (the coffee used in Keurig makers) are perfect. They are just the right size and even have a hole in the bottom for drainage. 

By starting seeds with something you already have you have saved money. And with that $19.99 you can buy more seeds! You’re welcome.

Resilience

I am watching the snowdrops as they bravely lift their heads through the remnants of snow, and I am reminded about resilience. According to the internet it is “the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness”. It’s one reason I chose the snowdrop for my logo. To me it represents beauty in the face of harsh circumstances.  Resilience is such an important attribute and yet one that seems lacking today. We live in a society where expectations are high, and success must be immediate. We don’t seem to know how to get up when we have been knocked down. We no longer hear the expression “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.”

My garden is a great example of resilience. Look carefully at plants that have been browsed by deer that appear dead until a tender green shoot appears. See the container plants that never made it into the ground last fall and overwintered in a pile of leaves. Despite freezing temperatures they are coming back. The prized echinacea that I had to have (but that was over budget) is dead. But it has seeded in and its children continue. The evergreen that had its central leader damaged by snow has made a new one. Even the beautiful ‘Audrey’ ficus (pictured here) speaks of resilience. A client had these (very expensive) plants but didn’t want them. By the time I got to them they looked dead but I didn’t want to give up so I brought them in to the house and tended them. Eventually all the leaves fell off; people wondered why I would have dead plants taking up so much room in the house. I couldn’t give up – they were valuable. And look what happened. ‘Audrey’ was resilient and over time came back better than ever.

Thomas Edison made 1000 attempts to invent a light bulb. Walt Disney was fired by a newspaper because the editor said he “lacked imagination.” Robin Williams was voted “Least Likely to Succeed” in high school. At a modeling agency Marilyn Monroe was told she had better learn secretarial work or get married. 

Whether in gardening or in life, resilience is a vital attribute. As Vince Lombardi said, “It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get back up.”

READ MORE ABOUT OTHERS WHO DID NOT GIVE UP

 

Northwest Flower and Garden Show

Rooted in Landscape

I really miss garden shows – especially my hometown Boston Spring Flower and Garden Show. It’s one reason I was especially excited to be invited to speak at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show last month. It is the second largest show in the country and beloved by all who attend. 

The Show did not disappoint and I now understand why so many attendees rave about it. I was very impressed by the displays – especially the smaller “front porch” vignettes as they showcased some great container gardens. One of the displays by Rooted in Landscape focused on biophilic design in the workspace. You may have remembered biophilic design from another of my newsletters. I think Smitha’s display was very well received as so many of us are working from home since COVID. Who wouldn’t want to be surrounded by greenery and living walls?

I spoke on container gardening, as well as using more foliage in container designs. Both talks seemed well-received, and the best part was talking to attendees afterwards. Spending time with other plant nerds talking plants never gets old. I also participated in Container Wars and, I’m not going to lie, I was a bit nervous. After all, as Michael Jackson put it “I’m a lover, not a fighter.” But it was all in good fun as my opponent and I battled for the coveted blue ribbon. I won but might have had an unfair advantage as my challenger was an authority on roses, not a container gardener. I toyed with the idea of wearing my winning ribbon on the plane home in hopes that its FIRST PLACE message would get me out of coach (maybe someone would think I was coming from the Olympics). In the end I decided to settle in to my lilliputian-sized seat, accept the fact that I would lose feeling in my feet and legs and solace myself with the delicious teeny bag of goldfish.