Report From the Field:
Downsizing My Garden
By Gay E. Vincent-Canal, Chair, WGC Horticulture Committee
Well, it finally happened. The day arrived when my husband and I decided we were not going to downsize our house. He turned to me and said, “I guess, if we are not moving, you just have to downsize your garden instead.”
It did make sense as I am fast approaching the 8th decade of life and my husband is already there. The Garden has grown beyond my capacity to take care of it by myself. Even though I now have help, it never seems enough. Seniorizing the garden was a good idea.
So what to do?? For those who are not familiar with it, my house contained eight distinct color themed garden areas, namely, the Hot Border, the Courtyard Garden, the Pink Ribbon Border, the Rock Garden, the Herb Garden, the Barn Garden, the Back Shrub Border and the Lower Front Natural Border. All were carved out of unusually difficult Connecticut rocky clay soil and a challenging terrain (a mountain goat would be at home).
The Hot Border greets you as you arrive up the driveway on the left and before the barn. A mass of color about 75 ft. long and 50 ft. wide tapering to a point similar to a giant triangle…Full of Daylilies (deer heaven), Cannas …Dahlias and tropical plants, etc. …Very labor intensive.
The Daylilies were the first to go. Last year we dug up about 800 plants, now distributed around Washington and the surrounding area. I did visit some of them this year and the relief when I saw deer damage and knew it was “not my problem” was palpable. That also goes for all the work to properly winter over the Dahlias, Cannas, etc.
The Hot Border is now being replaced by what I call a “C.O.G.” (Contemporary Oriental Garden). We started with a young man, his machine and his dog named Finnegan to “Sculpture the Border”. This crew artistically placed large rocks in groups and mounded soil …to so create the desired look. The planting started with a lovely weeping Carpinus betulus (partnered with Charlie and Barbara Robinson as a very generous 50th wedding anniversary present) and followed by a very tipsy “Uncle Foggy” pine and various sedum and low grasses in a ”Pave” manner with colors interwoven with low- growing conifers.
It was just beginning to take shape. Then Murphy’s Law kicked in!! ….I noticed some little treasures, Abies koreana ‘Cis’, slowly turning brown, as did some of the low grasses. It turns out they had too much water. It seems the former plantings in the Hot Border were very densely packed and soaked up water like sponges. So, up came the “Pave” plants (otherwise a flotation device would become essential for them to survive)!!
Our young man, his machine and Finnegan dug a series of trenches around the barn and through the lower part of the Hot Border. In went feet upon feet of drainage pipes and trap rock. To improve the soil and make it more friable, sand was added. Voila!! Problem solved and replanting of the “Pave” commenced!!
In the meantime, two smaller gardens, the Barn Garden and the Courtyard Garden, departed. Replaced in one case with Boxwood Hedges (not a total success) and the other by a Weeping Mulberry tree and ground cover in a mixed tapestry concept (at least that’s the idea). The latter is still filling in at the moment.
This winter we aim to remove old overgrown shrubs in the Back Shrub Border that are past their prime and as they are species, they are very susceptible to disease. I have babied them along far too long (but you know how hard it is to part with an old friend whom you have seen through a crisis or two).
Next year we hope to finish the “C.O.G.” garden, if we can agree (husbands can be so persnickety) on the two larger oriental type trees. Then we’ll attack the Rock Garden by simplifying the type and number of its inhabitants. We have made a running start on the Pink Ribbon Border and last but not least the Herb Garden is in my sights. The lower Front Natural Border is only three years old. It is in good shape and requires low maintenance so it will stay pretty much as it is.
In the meantime, the many Pots and Containers that live on the terrace and in front of the barn have been decreased in number. I made a wonderful discovery, “One Plant Pots”…. they are easy to maintain and even easier to acquire. Just hand over your credit card and a good part of your savings account!!
Tune in next year for the next episode of D.M.G., “Downsizing My Garden.
It did make sense as I am fast approaching the 8th decade of life and my husband is already there. The Garden has grown beyond my capacity to take care of it by myself. Even though I now have help, it never seems enough. Seniorizing the garden was a good idea.
So what to do?? For those who are not familiar with it, my house contained eight distinct color themed garden areas, namely, the Hot Border, the Courtyard Garden, the Pink Ribbon Border, the Rock Garden, the Herb Garden, the Barn Garden, the Back Shrub Border and the Lower Front Natural Border. All were carved out of unusually difficult Connecticut rocky clay soil and a challenging terrain (a mountain goat would be at home).
The Hot Border greets you as you arrive up the driveway on the left and before the barn. A mass of color about 75 ft. long and 50 ft. wide tapering to a point similar to a giant triangle…Full of Daylilies (deer heaven), Cannas …Dahlias and tropical plants, etc. …Very labor intensive.
The Daylilies were the first to go. Last year we dug up about 800 plants, now distributed around Washington and the surrounding area. I did visit some of them this year and the relief when I saw deer damage and knew it was “not my problem” was palpable. That also goes for all the work to properly winter over the Dahlias, Cannas, etc.
The Hot Border is now being replaced by what I call a “C.O.G.” (Contemporary Oriental Garden). We started with a young man, his machine and his dog named Finnegan to “Sculpture the Border”. This crew artistically placed large rocks in groups and mounded soil …to so create the desired look. The planting started with a lovely weeping Carpinus betulus (partnered with Charlie and Barbara Robinson as a very generous 50th wedding anniversary present) and followed by a very tipsy “Uncle Foggy” pine and various sedum and low grasses in a ”Pave” manner with colors interwoven with low- growing conifers.
It was just beginning to take shape. Then Murphy’s Law kicked in!! ….I noticed some little treasures, Abies koreana ‘Cis’, slowly turning brown, as did some of the low grasses. It turns out they had too much water. It seems the former plantings in the Hot Border were very densely packed and soaked up water like sponges. So, up came the “Pave” plants (otherwise a flotation device would become essential for them to survive)!!
Our young man, his machine and Finnegan dug a series of trenches around the barn and through the lower part of the Hot Border. In went feet upon feet of drainage pipes and trap rock. To improve the soil and make it more friable, sand was added. Voila!! Problem solved and replanting of the “Pave” commenced!!
In the meantime, two smaller gardens, the Barn Garden and the Courtyard Garden, departed. Replaced in one case with Boxwood Hedges (not a total success) and the other by a Weeping Mulberry tree and ground cover in a mixed tapestry concept (at least that’s the idea). The latter is still filling in at the moment.
This winter we aim to remove old overgrown shrubs in the Back Shrub Border that are past their prime and as they are species, they are very susceptible to disease. I have babied them along far too long (but you know how hard it is to part with an old friend whom you have seen through a crisis or two).
Next year we hope to finish the “C.O.G.” garden, if we can agree (husbands can be so persnickety) on the two larger oriental type trees. Then we’ll attack the Rock Garden by simplifying the type and number of its inhabitants. We have made a running start on the Pink Ribbon Border and last but not least the Herb Garden is in my sights. The lower Front Natural Border is only three years old. It is in good shape and requires low maintenance so it will stay pretty much as it is.
In the meantime, the many Pots and Containers that live on the terrace and in front of the barn have been decreased in number. I made a wonderful discovery, “One Plant Pots”…. they are easy to maintain and even easier to acquire. Just hand over your credit card and a good part of your savings account!!
Tune in next year for the next episode of D.M.G., “Downsizing My Garden.