Simply..less toil....

30/8/2016

Continuing a look at my garden, border by border. (I will file all these posts under Simply Low Maintenance for easy reference.)

This border which is in the middle of the garden does have that wow factor I seek, which is surprising really as it is a muddle of plants. I have just been out to count how many different things are in this bed which is about 6m x2m. NIneteen! Oh, twenty if I count the underplanting of daffodils!

A bit like clutter in the house it just creeps up on me - a self-sown seedling or three, a gift just popped in there for now, a reserve of something I didn't quite know what to do with yet, an impulse buy I didn't really have a plan for, some are so buried by more vigorous stuff the whole season goes by without me seeing them - none of these good reasons for keeping them!

Here is what I'll keep - Cornus controversa variegata (the horizontal shrub/tree) and the shrub rosa glauca, geranium psilostemnon, geranium 'Patricia', one good clump of alchemilla mollis, one plant of geranium Rozanne to continue the adjacent border, campanula lactiflora 'Anna Lodden'.

Here is what I will remove - Iris sibirica, aquilegia (Maybe. They are no work and don't crowd out other things), anemone japonica, pulmonaria 'Blue Ensign', Erysimum 'Bowles Mauve' (these last two were the ones which got buried), pink campion, angelica, a small geranium whose name I have forgotten, geranium praetense....

I'd like to plant more daffodil 'Thalia' in this bed. I shall just have to risk damaging existing bulbs when I plant them.

The plan is to cut everything hard back in autumn, lift them in spring - I may have a big plant sale! - and space the others well,. and mulch with composted bark.

A little pruning our of dead wood on the rose and cutting back the perennials late in the year should then be all that is required.

Are you making your garden lower maintenance, or is that not a priority for you just now?

12 Comments

elaine link

30/8/2016 02:29:03 pm

I am doing exactly the same as you Freda. Trying to simplify and make things a bit easier for myself. I lot of my borders are full of bits and bobs and make no real impact. The trouble is, when they are so full you can't get to the perennial weeds like couch grass and ground elder so I have been digging everything up to try and get rid of it all. Now all I have to do is replant. Hard work in this hot weather, but I have made a good start. I am now working under the apple tree which is a bit hazardous with all the wasps on the fruit. A wasp landed on my arm this afternoon but didn't sting (phew) and one flew down my top but came out again - haha - the joys of gardening eh!

Freda

30/8/2016 02:35:12 pm

Lovely Elaine! Joys indeed....a more mature garden is harder in some ways because clumps are bigger, more established and therefore heavier to move or divide but it sounds as if you are making great progress in spite of the wasps.

Cristiana

30/8/2016 06:09:11 pm

I'm bookmarking your advice on low maintenance to use as an upgrade for my garden (where there has been no planning). I guess it's all about starting point and perspective. I will need to read it with a dictionary at hand but I'm looking forward to what I can learn and hopefully improve!

Freda

31/8/2016 06:03:27 am

I hope my posts can help Cristiana! Asking yourself what you want from a garden is a good start....will blog on that very.soon...

julia

31/8/2016 05:12:44 am

our garden beds have become extremely low-maintenance since we are away most of the gardening season. when i'm home, i can whip them into shape in about 7 hours of work. (plus hired help for big jobs like hedge-trimming.) i am aiming for the "zen" look at this point...:-)

Freda

31/8/2016 06:04:12 am

Tell us more Julia!!

Julia

2/9/2016 03:56:17 am

In the un-fenced front yard, it must all be deer-proof. And they will even eat irises down to the soil level. Not flowers, because we ar not there to dead-head. It is planted in dwarf conifers (prickly ones), smoke bush, and ornamental grasses...all widely spaced and heavily mulched in an attractive contrasting dark barb mulch to protect them in dry spells. One clump of siberian irises for color that they do not eat, and i invite the neighbors to pick (my tricky way of getting them dead-headed).

Lotta link

31/8/2016 06:36:18 am

Mine is full of fruit, cobnuts and very busy squirrels at present... The lawn and plant pots are full of buried nuts! Perhaps I could train them to pull up weeds at the same time? Wish I lived closer for your big plant sale :-)

Freda

31/8/2016 12:33:40 pm

Sounds wonderful Lotta.

cath

31/8/2016 08:51:29 am

No real garden here but a balcony big enough to have a high rectangular willow basket over the length of one side, and a high square willow basket on the other, next to that a cluster of low willow and terracotta baskets on the floor. Four baskets hanging - on the inside of the balustrade.

Main colours next to the greyish willow and redbrown terracotta are green (grasses) and blue. I am very happy with that. I love the grasses.

Not so happy with this summer's result. I can't remember when for the last time I had to change plants halfway summer. This year I had, and did a month ago. Now again the one high rectangular basket at the side needs to be replanted.
Low maintenance for me means planting a selection of anuals and changing those for winter hardy plants in autumn.

I'm now reconsidering this approach.

Freda

31/8/2016 12:35:49 pm

Your balcony sounds full of interest all year Cath.

Freda to Julia

4/9/2016 12:50:13 am

I think grasses with the conifers will be wonderful - it is the static nature of most dwarf conifers that I don't like - but the contrast with moving grasses must be lovely. Clever dead heading trick too Julia!

Simply..less toil....

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