The problem, as she sees it, is that her garden is too much work. That she had to take time off from her paying job to tend this garden. She is thinking of attacking it with a rototiller. Just atil' the whole thing under and be done with it. There you go. Just atil' it in.
I doubt if she is the only one out there who feels this way, especially this time of year when it seems like everything may be happening at once. You know, the perennials and weeds all rise to meet the sun right around the same time. Wouldn't you?
On the other hand, I have a friend who works full time and has a garden that she treasures. She walks by it on her way to and from the car. It sees her off in the morning and welcomes her home. It is stuffed with treasures and offers blooms all season long.
The difference between these women is the size of their gardens. The first one has multiple beds and tons of containers. That's lots of edging and weeding and watering and deadheading and .... the list goes on. The second woman has two raised beds in front of her house with steps leading to the entry between them. That's all. And they are gorgeous, all season. It takes her about an hour, total, per week to deal with them. She loves her garden and it shows.
So what does this tell you? That perhaps you need a garden that you can manage and still have time to do other things like brush your teeth? You need to ask yourself just what it is you want out of a garden. I cannot stress this point enough: start small. Add beds as you gain confidence and interest. Do not ever develop more garden area than you can manage. Why is it that seems so basic and obvious? Why do I hear from people every year that they have "too much garden?" Who is doing this to them? Not their garden. No garden ever asked to be planted. You have done this to yourself. The why of that is something only you can answer.
I love my garden. So much so that I have been known to weep when I walk through it. It brings me so much pleasure. It is living poetry, certainly not a living hell. It will never make it to a magazine cover. It won't win any awards. But it is mine and it gives me what I need. If yours isn't doing that, something is wrong.
My suggestion to the first woman would be to have a plant sale. That's right. Just dig up all the plants in the beds that are the farthest away from the water source and sell the plants. Either replant the now-empty beds with rugosa roses or let the elders and alders take over. There you have it, problem solved.
That said, let's get on with gardening.
I am delighted to report that my billion-dollar clematis viticella, Virgins Bower, is alive and well. I will forever refer to it as the "billion-dollar clematis" because it cost more to ship it than the plant cost. And I did it anyway. A viticella is a "Group 3" clematis in that it must be pruned hard in the spring. To quote Chalk Hill Clematis where I bought it, "These varieties bloom on current year's growth and generally flower from early summer to fall. Prune in early spring when buds begin to swell and danger of severe frost has passed. Starting from the base of the plant, move up 12-18 inches and prune, leaving two pairs of bud on each stem. If the plant is herbaceous, it will die back to the ground."
Clematis are getting more and more popular as our weather changes and we become bolder in what we are trying to grow, and how much we are willing to spend. Whatever one of these really lovely climbers you choose, be sure to read the label so you know how to prune it.
The Dropmore honeysuckle that I have had for four years is really amazing. I thought that this last cold snap would do it in for sure, but there it is, leafing out and looking most excellent. So excellent in fact that I need to put up more trellis for it to climb on. It is a really huge plant. Who would have thought that it would have reached its potential here?
The P.J.M. rhododendron has fat pink buds. It was planted just last year and it looks to be a success. I have it tucked into a deciduous border of caragana and spirea with spring bulbs and pink violets. Usually I stuff that border with poppies because it has looked so sparsely populated but this year the plants are reaching size and look like they can be left on their own.
At last week's garden club meeting, Chuck Decker told us (and this is not the first time I have heard this) to feed our roses with a handful of lime and a tablespoon of Epsom salts. This is to promote blooms and there just can't be too many blooms on a rose.
If you are worried about the weather, you should be. Weather is never ever to be trusted. Spring's arrival three weeks early is unheard of. I do have some things planted from seed, lettuce, radish, peas and spinach are up and doing well. Even if it should turn cold, these plants will handle it just fine. I am hardening off the cole crops (broccoli, cabbage, three kinds of cauliflower). They are spending their first night outside. When you do plant out seedlings, be sure that you pick an overcast day. A bright, sunny day is just too hard on their tender little beings. Offer protection by way of floating row cover and cross your fingers. After all, this is the Far North.
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