'JU N E S GARDEN'
DIRT, and Then Some!
Trees and shrubs are the backbone of a garden.
They provide the background for flowering plants.
When placing these permanent plants, give thought
to their full growth of width and height. If planted
too close together, in time some will have to be
removed: a lesson many of us impatient gardeners
fail to remember when we are anxious to fill in empty
spaces. Proper spacing is very important.
When you have decided what,plants best suit
your site, for a more interesting contrast mix
evergreens with deciduous trees and shrubs. There is
a wide range of different colors of foliage besides the
many shades of green: grey, grey-blue, silver, purple
or bronze, yellow, yellow-green, and those whose
foliage turns shades of gold or red in the fall.
If you live as close to the ocean front as I do,
the foliage of some deciduous trees and shrubs could
be wind-burned by the salt-laden winds off the coast.
The leaves of a tall maple tree I planted some years
ago turn brown before it turns a golden color in the
fall. Two other shrubs affected by the wind are a tall
shrub (Viburnum opulus) and a Laurustina
(Viburnum tinus). I had been recommended to plant
the Laurustina, a tough, hardy winter-blooming
shrub, in an unprotected area that is in the path of the
winter winds. By spring, all the leaves have turned
brown and the plant rarely produces winter flowers.
In a more protected area, the foliage of blueberries
and an Eyonumus alatus compacta labeled 'Burning
Bush' never turn brown but both turn shades of red
by October.
Adding trees and shrubs that produce flowers
and berries will attract a variety of birds. The 'Apple
Blossom' escallonia and hardy fuchsia shrubs draw
Rufus humming birds to feed from the nectar of the
flowers. Native plants of Twin-berry (Lonicera
inolucrata), Red-berried Elder (Sanbucus callicarpa),
and Salal (Gaultheria shallon), all bear fruit and grow
along with my cultivated plants. Mountain ash
(Pyrus sitchensis), a native tree found in the mountain
forests along the coast, is a small tree that blooms
white blossoms in the spring followed by bunches of
bright red fruit in the fall, and is much loved by birds,
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especially robins and varied thrushes. These trees are
available at garden centers, and are worth adding to
your garden.
For continuous performances of colorful
flowers I fill in the bare spaces between the trees and
shrubs with herbaceous perennials. When you
choose perennials, become familiar with their time of
bloom, whether they grow best in full sun or shade,
and their growth habits. Some send out underground
runners which in a few years will take over a flower
bed. There are others that stay in clump form. Most
perennials need dividing every three years or so. The
best time to divide plants is in the spring when they
first show their growth. There are enough varieties to
choose from that bloom from early spring into late
fall. Tall plants need to be staked for support before
they get too tall and lop over or cover smaller plants
planted near them. Shasta daisies that grow well in
our coastal weather can be sheared back 2 or 3 inches
when they reach to about a foot and a half tall. This
causes the plant to branch out and produce more
flower buds and not grow as leggy. Some perennials
will continue to bloom if you keep them dead-headed
by cutting off all blossoms that start to fade.
I'd never grown dahlias before I moved to the
coast, but they now have become one of my favorite
flowers. They are dependable and add continuous
color from early July into late fall. The smaller
shaped flowers of Pom-Poms and Water-lily varieties
are not as overwhelming as the blossoms of what is
described as dinner-plate size. Various heights of
plants are available. Dahlias are described as half-
hardy. I've never lifted the tubers in the fall to protect
them from a deep freeze. I cut back the stems after
the first frost and add a layer of mulch. Our coastal
winter weather does have frequent heavy rain storms
and high winds, but the temperature is usually milder
than the interior of Oregon. Standing water will rot
the bulbs. Mine are planted in raised beds which
have good drainage. In time I do separate the tubers
when the clump has grown too large. If the tubers
are crowded, it will cause weak stems and fewer
blossoms. I plant them in well-prepared soil and use
fertilizer that's low in nitrogen. Swan Lake dahlia
growers advise using fertilizer that is high in
potassium and phosphorus, either labeled 5-10-10 or
10-20-20. Avoid fish fertilizer or other high-nitrogen
fertilizer. Too much nitrogen will produce more
leaves than flowers.
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Correction of July column: my raised beds are
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'DIRT and Then Some'
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Contrast adds interest. For variety, combine
plants of different colors, forms, textures, and varied
heights. Complementary colors of flowers planted in
drifts help to unify a landscape. Pale muted colors
are more easily used together, giving the landscape a
softer look. Bright pure colors stand out and are best
used as highlights. When experimenting with color
combinations, it is helpful to be able to distinguish
between the purple-pink that has a bit of blue in it, or
coral-pink thats tinted with orange. Coordinating
colors have similar tones.
Note: some of the above paragraph is quoted
from an article in the June issue of Country Living
Gardener, 'The 3 C's of Combining Plants,' by Rita
Buchanan. This is an article worth reading on how to
choose partners that complement, coordinate, or
contrast successfully.
Owiin:
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