Gardening Tips

Written by Barbara Gee

You may have just bought a new house. You may have bought an old house. You may have a bare lot and are waiting to build, or you may simply want to revamp the garden of your existing house. Whatever your reason for wanting to start a garden you have to answer the question: am I planning this garden for me, or for the neighbors to see and admire? You can, in fact, accomplish both, but the point is that your attention to this question will help you focus on what you want the garden to do for you.

It’s important to know the space around your house and how you want to use it. If you have a family of six young rambunctious children, two dogs and a cat you may be forced to plan accordingly and design a soccer field – at least until the children have moved on to cars. If, on the other hand you are heading for a leisurely retirement and want to potter for hours in your garden you may be able to design a labor-intensive garden with lots of flowers to take care of. Whatever your current life-style the garden should reflect that. And remember, it is your garden to do with as you wish.

Spend some time thinking about the garden – really thinking. Walk around the space as it exists now. Take a chair out and sit in different areas to see how they feel and how they look from different points in the garden. Look out of your windows at different times of the day and think about what you want to see from them. Observe how the sun plays around your house. Is the garden shady, sunny, or both? Are you happy with the amount of privacy you have, or would you prefer a little more? Do you want to create a privacy barrier (a nice one, of course) between you and your neighbors? Are there existing trees on the property – do you like them? On this one, however, you may be financially forced to like them since removing trees is costly. Which brings us to the next question you have to ask yourself – how much are you willing to spend?

Size of budget does not dictate beauty of garden. Having a design and a plan of action will do more to dictate that, and will help you spend your money wisely. An immediate and not expensive path to take is to hire someone knowledgeable to walk around your garden with you for an hour. You might ask someone from a local nursery or garden center, or a landscape designer, or even a knowledgeable friend to give you some time and advice. Don’t expect the gem of a fellow who mows your lawn to necessarily know about landscape design. He may well know, but just be sure. During that hour you will come to know your property more intimately and get a good sense of a design direction in which to go – or even get a couple of options to choose from. This is a minimum investment but is time and money well spent.

Now, do you intend to do the gardening yourself, or is it your intention to get a gorgeous garden but have someone else tend it? Be truthful because a large garden can easily become a burden if it requires too much maintenance. Don’t put in a huge flower garden thinking you will do the planting, weeding, fertilizing, pruning, and dead-heading if your husband and children are expecting you to go canoeing with them every weekend. Adjust the size of your garden workload to your lifestyle. Don’t become hostage to your garden. Gardens beckon and seduce the unsuspecting – it happens all too easily. You should know, however, that there really is no such thing as a maintenance-free garden. Anything you plant will need some maintenance whether by you or by someone you hire.

Are you an obsessive enough gardener to want to go the whole nine yards yourself in designing and creating your own garden, or are you more comfortable seeking the services of a professional landscape designer? If it is the latter you have options. You can hire a professional to do the whole job: design, installation and maintenance, or just a portion of the job, such as the design. Some designers prefer to do everything, some are more than happy to create a garden design and hand it over to you to implement. Just know which way you want to proceed, and take your time. Creating a work of art is a process and change is inherent, but changing your mind four of five times will cost you money so make sure you know your mind. When you work with a professional you are not just paying for a garden design you are paying for that person’s knowledge of plants and also of people in the nursery industry. If the landscape designer is not going to install the garden for you they will still be able to advise you on where to buy your plants, or who to hire to plant them for you.

Creating a garden takes time. Enjoy the process, even over years. Taking a garden from design to mature growth spans years, and the garden will get better as time passes. While it is hard to imagine that a new garden freshly planted with 12″ plants will ever grow into the lusty perennial border of your dreams (or of the original design) chances are it will. Patience pays off in gardening. Your excitement about your new garden is understandable and appropriate, but don’t go the seductive route of immediate gratification buying the biggest plant at the nursery. The plants will be healthier and better adjusted to your particular garden if they grow to maturity in your garden, not in the garden center. Allow your garden to mature naturally. Don’t force it. It will pay off in spades in terms of longevity, and beauty.

www.rhodeislandhomedesign.com

You may have just bought a new house. You may have bought an old house. You may have a bare lot and are waiting to build, or you may simply want to revamp the garden of your existing house. Whatever your reason for wanting to start a garden you have to answer the question: am I planning this garden for me, or for the neighbors to see and admire? You can, in fact, accomplish both, but the point is that your attention to this question will help you focus on what you want the garden to do for you.

It’s important to know the space around your house and how you want to use it. If you have a family of six young rambunctious children, two dogs and a cat you may be forced to plan accordingly and design a soccer field – at least until the children have moved on to cars. If, on the other hand you are heading for a leisurely retirement and want to potter for hours in your garden you may be able to design a labor-intensive garden with lots of flowers to take care of. Whatever your current life-style the garden should reflect that. And remember, it is your garden to do with as you wish.

Spend some time thinking about the garden – really thinking. Walk around the space as it exists now. Take a chair out and sit in different areas to see how they feel and how they look from different points in the garden. Look out of your windows at different times of the day and think about what you want to see from them. Observe how the sun plays around your house. Is the garden shady, sunny, or both? Are you happy with the amount of privacy you have, or would you prefer a little more? Do you want to create a privacy barrier (a nice one, of course) between you and your neighbors? Are there existing trees on the property – do you like them? On this one, however, you may be financially forced to like them since removing trees is costly. Which brings us to the next question you have to ask yourself – how much are you willing to spend?

Size of budget does not dictate beauty of garden. Having a design and a plan of action will do more to dictate that, and will help you spend your money wisely. An immediate and not expensive path to take is to hire someone knowledgeable to walk around your garden with you for an hour. You might ask someone from a local nursery or garden center, or a landscape designer, or even a knowledgeable friend to give you some time and advice. Don’t expect the gem of a fellow who mows your lawn to necessarily know about landscape design. He may well know, but just be sure. During that hour you will come to know your property more intimately and get a good sense of a design direction in which to go – or even get a couple of options to choose from. This is a minimum investment but is time and money well spent.

Now, do you intend to do the gardening yourself, or is it your intention to get a gorgeous garden but have someone else tend it? Be truthful because a large garden can easily become a burden if it requires too much maintenance. Don’t put in a huge flower garden thinking you will do the planting, weeding, fertilizing, pruning, and dead-heading if your husband and children are expecting you to go canoeing with them every weekend. Adjust the size of your garden workload to your lifestyle. Don’t become hostage to your garden. Gardens beckon and seduce the unsuspecting – it happens all too easily. You should know, however, that there really is no such thing as a maintenance-free garden. Anything you plant will need some maintenance whether by you or by someone you hire.

Are you an obsessive enough gardener to want to go the whole nine yards yourself in designing and creating your own garden, or are you more comfortable seeking the services of a professional landscape designer? If it is the latter you have options. You can hire a professional to do the whole job: design, installation and maintenance, or just a portion of the job, such as the design. Some designers prefer to do everything, some are more than happy to create a garden design and hand it over to you to implement. Just know which way you want to proceed, and take your time. Creating a work of art is a process and change is inherent, but changing your mind four of five times will cost you money so make sure you know your mind. When you work with a professional you are not just paying for a garden design you are paying for that person’s knowledge of plants and also of people in the nursery industry. If the landscape designer is not going to install the garden for you they will still be able to advise you on where to buy your plants, or who to hire to plant them for you.

Creating a garden takes time. Enjoy the process, even over years. Taking a garden from design to mature growth spans years, and the garden will get better as time passes. While it is hard to imagine that a new garden freshly planted with 12″ plants will ever grow into the lusty perennial border of your dreams (or of the original design) chances are it will. Patience pays off in gardening. Your excitement about your new garden is understandable and appropriate, but don’t go the seductive route of immediate gratification buying the biggest plant at the nursery. The plants will be healthier and better adjusted to your particular garden if they grow to maturity in your garden, not in the garden center. Allow your garden to mature naturally. Don’t force it. It will pay off in spades in terms of longevity, and beauty.

www.rhodeislandhomedesign.com

 

 Written by Barbara Gee  

Incorporating annuals into your garden designs is great fun. You get a lot of “bang for your buck.” Most annuals flower throughout the summer and really take very little care once established. And they come and go in one season so you can change your color palette, shapes and textures every year.

An annual is a plant that goes through its life cycle in one season from germination to setting seed, and finally “expiring.” People often get confused between annuals and biennial. “Bi” simply means two, so a biennial like foxglove or hollyhock goes through the same cycle over a period of two years. Biennials often spread seed profusely and so new plants pop up making it look like the original plant never died.

Choosing Your Annuals
Most annuals like full sun and most are easy to grow. There’s a wide variety of choices in color, size, texture and foliage – and, of course, there are annual vines too like Black-eyed Susan vine, or Cardinal climber. And a few annuals will tolerate some shade like pincushion flower.  Certain annuals, like coreopsis, should be sown directly into the soil outside. Others, like petunias, need to be started indoors. Different annuals require a different amount of time to germinate – for some, like ageratum, it can be less than ten days, while others like gerbera may take up to three weeks. The seed packet will usually have this kind of information.

To garden economically know what you want to buy before you head for the garden center. It’s way too tempting once you get there and are faced with all the choices. Keep in mind the purpose for which you want the annuals – containers, cutting gardens, in a border… and take into account the garden conditions you have – sun or shade? And some annuals need a rich soil while others like nasturtium actually prefer a less fertile soil.

Look for plants with strong stems and healthy leaves – not wilted or yellowed. Check the roots – they should be moist, white and fairly loose in the soil. Even knock a plant gently out of the pot to check.

If the plants are in bloom you may want to pinch them back when you get home to help them grow stronger roots and bush out. If the soil in the pot is excessively dry it may show that the garden center hasn’t been diligent about watering.

Starting Annuals
Whether you sow seeds indoors or outside, the date you start should be determined by the last frost date in your area. Work back from that date calculating the number of weeks to allow for seed germination and for the plant to be strong and healthy enough to be planted outside.

Use flats or individual pots and a good soilless seed-starting mix which should be moist – not wet. Most seeds are sown at a depth equal to three times their diameter. Some need to germinate in the dark and some in the light. For the first cover the pots with a lid or put them in a dark cupboard. For the others just press the seeds lightly into the mix.

Warmth and moisture are required for germination.  So create those conditions by covering the pots with a transparent lid or plastic wrap. Check regularly to make sure conditions are not too wet, and lift the lid to let air in. When they sprout take the lid off to allow them to grow.

You need a good source of light. Put the pots on a very sunny windowsill and turn them every day. Or use a fluorescent “grow-light” setup. Keep the soil moist, not wet.

If you see the fungal disease “damping-off” you may lose some but not necessarily all the plants. The seedlings will wilt and collapse. Damping-off travels quickly so eliminate the affected plants and increase ventilation.

Seedlings that have developed their second set of leaves can be transplanted into individual pots. Peat pots are a good investment because the entire pot can be planted and the pots decompose. Some plants like nasturtium don’t like to be disturbed so planting them in the pot or directly in the ground minimizes the disturbance.

Planting and Care
Plants that have been grown indoors will need to go through the process of “hardening off” to prepare them for life outdoors. This simply means getting them used to being outside. You can do this by putting the plants outside for a longer period each day bringing them in at night, until such time as they can be left outside all night. They can then be planted.

Good soil is key to successful gardening and cuts down on your need for extra fertilizer. A good slow-release fertilizer at the time of planting should do it, but you may want to add some more occasionally through the summer. Just remember that some prefer a lean soil. Read the literature to find out. Mulching helps retain moisture and prevents weeds from taking hold.

Annuals need basic care once in the ground.
Deadhead the plants – this means removing spent blooms which helps the plant put energy into new blooms. It also makes the plant look nicer.

End of the Season
As the first frost approaches, you can harvest and save seeds. Harvest the seeds when ripe which is usually when the seedpods or capsules turn brown and dry.

When you are closing up the garden for the winter you can either pull out the spent annuals or cut them back to the ground leaving the roots to decompose in the ground.

Clear your garden debris away so that you don’t create a habitat that encourages insects, pests, or diseases. Removing debris also makes it more difficult for insects to overwinter.

And always remember to enjoy your garden work.

A Few Choice Annuals

Love-lies-Bleeding (Amaranthus)

Cockscomb (Celosia argentea)

Basket flower (Centaurea americana)

China Pink (Dianthus chinensis)

Lupine (Lupinus luteus)

Forget-me-not (Myosotis sylvatica)

Snapdragon (Antirrhinum)

Milkweed (Asclepias)

Arctic Poppy (Papaver croceum)

Sunflower (Helianthus)

Black-eyed Susan vine (Thumbergia alata)

Cardinal climber vine (Ipmoea x multifida)

www.rhodeislandhomedesign.com

Written by Adam Latham

Water is essential for the physical health of people and plants, but it can also bring life to you and your garden in other ways. Who isn’t drawn to the sound of moving water? What child won’t reach their hand into a flowing fountain? Bringing water into the garden can be quite simple or very complex — your design preference and budget will determine the form it takes. If you are fortunate enough to have a natural water body in your garden or a view of a pond, river, or the ocean, you’re already one step ahead.

Reflective Basins and Bird Baths
The simplest water features are reflective bowls, shallow pools, and birdbaths. Because of their relatively small size, they should be placed in a location next to a path, bench, or window to allow for easy access for viewing and maintaining. Gazing at the mirror-like reflections of clouds, sky, or plants in these structures is very soothing. For the best reflective qualities choose a dark-bottomed vessel.

Almost any watertight vessel will do. The most common materials include stone, glazed ceramic, fiberglass, copper, and concrete. Naturally occurring bowl-shaped stones are perfect for an informal garden setting. The water in the bowls should be changed every few days to provide fresh water for birds and to keep it free of mosquito larvae. Clean the basin every few weeks, or as needed, with a small amount of bleach, lemon juice, or vinegar mixed with water to remove algae and kill bacteria harmful to wildlife.

Fountains, Streams, and Waterfalls
From gracefully flowing forms to geyser-like displays, cascading water enchants sight, sound, and touch. Simple, small, manufactured fountains are readily available at local garden shops and are easy to set up. There are also small, wall-mounted fountains that are perfect for tiny spaces or to add interest to a bare exterior wall. Because fountains contain no fish or plants, these features are easy to care for throughout the season. Changing the water in the fountain weekly will reduce the occurrence of algae discoloring the water. Monitor the water level in the fountain at least weekly and keep the reservoir full, as too little water in the reservoir will damage the pump. Prepping for winter involves draining the water, removing the pump, and placing it indoors. You may also wrap the fountain with a weatherproof cover.

Creating an effective display with a waterfall and stream is a bit more difficult. For the best naturalistic setting, streams and waterfalls should be designed to fit into naturally occurring sloping land. It is very difficult to create a natural looking waterfall on flat ground. No landscape looks more contrived than a waterfall constructed on a lump of earth that is out of scale and context with its surroundings. If your garden is on a nearly level lot, the best water feature is probably a fountain or pond.

Water Gardens/Ponds
Man-made, small scale, ornamental ponds are increasing in popularity. These features offer the opportunity to bring the widest variety of plants, fish, and other wildlife into the garden. Incorporating moving water into a water garden using a fountain or waterfall is essential for adding oxygen to water for healthy aquatic life. Years ago these ponds were constructed of concrete and were usually geometric in shape. Today, flexible liners permit nearly endless possibilities for the form a pond can take.

Still, don’t dismiss the use of a geometrically shaped pond; it might be the most appropriate design for your setting. Of all the ways to bring water into the landscape, these ponds require the most intensive construction and maintenance. Although you can install these features yourself, for the best detailing and proper function of the mechanical system, I recommend an experienced installation company. And if you don’t have the time to perform the required maintenance but really desire a pond in your garden, hire the same landscape contractor or water garden specialist to do the work for you.

You need not dig a hole in the ground to have a water garden. If taking on the care of a backyard pond seems a bit daunting, try a miniature version. Tubs of various sizes and materials are perfect for placing on your patio, deck, or into your perennial garden. Beware, however: because these smaller tubs lack a filtration system or a well-balanced natural system, they require close monitoring to maintain clean water. In comparison to a large pond, you’ll save time on the maintenance, but not the frequency of performing it.

If you are fortunate enough to have a small, natural pond on your land, you’ve eliminated the time and expense of constructing one. You can concentrate on embellishing it with plants that will form a backdrop to the water surface. These plants will be reflected on the water surface in the spring, summer, and fall and in the winter can provide color and a resting spot for new-fallen snow. On larger ponds, structures can be added to bring people closer to the water. Gazebos, boardwalks, small bridges, and docks make great additions within the scene.  

The Borrowed Landscape
If you don’t own a sweeping expanse of waterfront property, but live near a body of water, you may be able to capture a portion of your neighbor’s vista. Through selective thinning of plant material on the ground, or raising the tree canopy, you can open and frame scenic vignettes. If you’re faced with an objectionable view between you and the water, properly placing the appropriate plant material can screen out utility poles, outbuildings, unregistered cars, or your neighbor’s boat that has spent years in dry dock.

Many people, even experienced gardeners, are timid about bringing water into the garden. It’s not quite as complicated as it may seem. Adding the sound of moving water, light reflection, and wildlife at any scale offer many benefits to the garden and gardener. For inspiration, I recommend reading “Gardening with Water,” by James van Sweden, which showcases ways to bring water into the garden at varying scales and different settings, as well as the dramatic use of plants in and around water.

www.rhodeislandhomedesign.com

Water is essential for the physical health of people and plants, but it can also bring life to you and your garden in other ways. Who isn’t drawn to the sound of moving water? What child won’t reach their hand into a flowing fountain? Bringing water into the garden can be quite simple or very complex — your design preference and budget will determine the form it takes. If you are fortunate enough to have a natural water body in your garden or a view of a pond, river, or the ocean, you’re already one step ahead.

Reflective Basins and Bird Baths
The simplest water features are reflective bowls, shallow pools, and birdbaths. Because of their relatively small size, they should be placed in a location next to a path, bench, or window to allow for easy access for viewing and maintaining. Gazing at the mirror-like reflections of clouds, sky, or plants in these structures is very soothing. For the best reflective qualities choose a dark-bottomed vessel.

Almost any watertight vessel will do. The most common materials include stone, glazed ceramic, fiberglass, copper, and concrete. Naturally occurring bowl-shaped stones are perfect for an informal garden setting. The water in the bowls should be changed every few days to provide fresh water for birds and to keep it free of mosquito larvae. Clean the basin every few weeks, or as needed, with a small amount of bleach, lemon juice, or vinegar mixed with water to remove algae and kill bacteria harmful to wildlife.

Fountains, Streams, and Waterfalls
From gracefully flowing forms to geyser-like displays, cascading water enchants sight, sound, and touch. Simple, small, manufactured fountains are readily available at local garden shops and are easy to set up. There are also small, wall-mounted fountains that are perfect for tiny spaces or to add interest to a bare exterior wall. Because fountains contain no fish or plants, these features are easy to care for throughout the season. Changing the water in the fountain weekly will reduce the occurrence of algae discoloring the water. Monitor the water level in the fountain at least weekly and keep the reservoir full, as too little water in the reservoir will damage the pump. Prepping for winter involves draining the water, removing the pump, and placing it indoors. You may also wrap the fountain with a weatherproof cover.

Creating an effective display with a waterfall and stream is a bit more difficult. For the best naturalistic setting, streams and waterfalls should be designed to fit into naturally occurring sloping land. It is very difficult to create a natural looking waterfall on flat ground. No landscape looks more contrived than a waterfall constructed on a lump of earth that is out of scale and context with its surroundings. If your garden is on a nearly level lot, the best water feature is probably a fountain or pond.

Water Gardens/Ponds
Man-made, small scale, ornamental ponds are increasing in popularity. These features offer the opportunity to bring the widest variety of plants, fish, and other wildlife into the garden. Incorporating moving water into a water garden using a fountain or waterfall is essential for adding oxygen to water for healthy aquatic life. Years ago these ponds were constructed of concrete and were usually geometric in shape. Today, flexible liners permit nearly endless possibilities for the form a pond can take.

Still, don’t dismiss the use of a geometrically shaped pond; it might be the most appropriate design for your setting. Of all the ways to bring water into the landscape, these ponds require the most intensive construction and maintenance. Although you can install these features yourself, for the best detailing and proper function of the mechanical system, I recommend an experienced installation company. And if you don’t have the time to perform the required maintenance but really desire a pond in your garden, hire the same landscape contractor or water garden specialist to do the work for you.

You need not dig a hole in the ground to have a water garden. If taking on the care of a backyard pond seems a bit daunting, try a miniature version. Tubs of various sizes and materials are perfect for placing on your patio, deck, or into your perennial garden. Beware, however: because these smaller tubs lack a filtration system or a well-balanced natural system, they require close monitoring to maintain clean water. In comparison to a large pond, you’ll save time on the maintenance, but not the frequency of performing it.

If you are fortunate enough to have a small, natural pond on your land, you’ve eliminated the time and expense of constructing one. You can concentrate on embellishing it with plants that will form a backdrop to the water surface. These plants will be reflected on the water surface in the spring, summer, and fall and in the winter can provide color and a resting spot for new-fallen snow. On larger ponds, structures can be added to bring people closer to the water. Gazebos, boardwalks, small bridges, and docks make great additions within the scene.  

The Borrowed Landscape
If you don’t own a sweeping expanse of waterfront property, but live near a body of water, you may be able to capture a portion of your neighbor’s vista. Through selective thinning of plant material on the ground, or raising the tree canopy, you can open and frame scenic vignettes. If you’re faced with an objectionable view between you and the water, properly placing the appropriate plant material can screen out utility poles, outbuildings, unregistered cars, or your neighbor’s boat that has spent years in dry dock.

Many people, even experienced gardeners, are timid about bringing water into the garden. It’s not quite as complicated as it may seem. Adding the sound of moving water, light reflection, and wildlife at any scale offer many benefits to the garden and gardener. For inspiration, I recommend reading “Gardening with Water,” by James van Sweden, which showcases ways to bring water into the garden at varying scales and different settings, as well as the dramatic use of plants in and around water.

www.rhodeislandhomedesign.com

 

 

Written by Adam Latham  

Nearly everyone enjoys spending time near the ocean, and many plants do, too. But it can be very challenging to grow plants in weather conditions that can be brutal one day and docile the next. Seaside gardening isn’t limited to those who live directly on the waterfront. If your home is in a coastal community, it’s influenced by the bay or ocean. Wind, waves, salt spray, saltwater flooding, fog, sun exposure, and soil conditions all play a part in formulating your home’s unique microclimate. Understanding these environmental factors and knowing which plants are adapted to thrive in maritime environments is your key to a successful garden.

Dividing It Up

The area of land affected by coastal influences is divided into zones known as exposure belts. Remember that there are no hard lines delineating these zones, and growing conditions can change dramatically within a few hundred feet along the shore. You’ll also notice transition areas between the belts, where plants from one exposure belt intermingle with another based on local conditions.

Exposure Belt 1 – Seashore Conditions: land immediately adjacent to the water, including dunes, rocky shores, or marshes.

Exposure Belt 2 – Coastal Plain, Bay, and Protected Areas: land a bit back from the waterfront, slightly protected by trees, dunes, or other coastal landforms.

Exposure Belt 3 – Land even further away from the water but still affected by ocean weather.

If you are living directly along the Narragansett Bay or Atlantic waterfront in exposure belt 1, you benefit from a front seat on Rhode Island’s beautiful coast, but the plants in your landscape are put through the most rigorous tests of survival, exposed to gale force winds, salt water flooding, erosion, salt spray, and difficult soils. In this belt, you’ll find mainly perennials like seaside goldenrod and beach wormwood, and grasses like American beachgrass. Along Narragansett Bay in this belt, some woody plants can anchor their roots in the soil, but at the ocean, few woody plants can withstand these conditions. If your home is in the harshest of these environments, you’ll probably find it best to grow ornamental plants in containers.

Seaside Container Tips

Container gardening allows you to control the soil and moisture conditions. Select large, sturdy, heavyweight containers, not lightweight plastic or fiberglass ones that are more likely to tip over.  Position the containers in protected areas behind a fence or wall.  Don’t limit your container plant selection to annuals alone. Perennials, ornamental grasses, and low-growing shrubs are good choices as well, and all types of plants can be mixed in the same container. Stay away from tall shrubs and trees, as these plants, placed in relatively small pots compared to the size of the plant, may topple in heavy winds.  Select drought-tolerant plants for your containers if you only visit the home on weekends.

In Sheltered Locations

In the more protected areas of exposure belt 2, woody plants are able to get more of a foothold and the available planting palette increases dramatically. When you’re beginning the plant selection process, observing the native vegetation in the area is always a good place to start. Understanding the growing requirements of native plants will give you clues to selecting ornamentals that favor similar conditions. Here you’ll find shrubs including bayberry (Myrica pensylvanica), inkberry (Ilex glabra), beach plum (Prunus maritima), highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum), and arrowwood viburnum (Viburnum dentatum). Beach rose (Rosa rugosa) is also here, but you may be surprised to know that this ubiquitous, fragrant, thorny shrub is not a native. Its fruit, called rose hips, which contain the plant’s seeds, are easily spread along the coast by moving water, birds, and animals. Native trees that are at home in shelter belt 2 include the evergreens Eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana) and American Holly (Ilex opaca) and the deciduous Tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica) and red maple (Acer rubrum).

Improved selections of many native coastal plants are available at your favorite nursery. You can also find ornamentals that will thrive in exposure belt 2 gardens, such as butterfly bush (Buddleia sp.), mophead and lacecap hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla), lilac (Syringa sp.), and hybrid landscape roses (Rosa sp.).

In exposure belt 2, the use of hedges for privacy also has the added benefit of creating planting areas protected from strong and constant coastal winds. These sheltered pockets are where it’s safe to install plant material that in windy locations is prone to dry out or suffer from broken stems and tattered leaves. Hedges can take the form of formal, sheared shapes where space is a premium, or a looser, staggered planting with a mix of plant shapes and sizes.

            Gardeners further back from the water, in exposure belt 3, have the advantage of being able to grow the widest variety of plants. Here gardens have the benefit of a temperate coastal climate and are able to support plants that may not grow successfully just a few miles inland. For example, in Bristol, Warren, and Swansea, the Mimosa or silk tree (Albizia julibrissin) grows quickly into beautiful, mature specimens. But in North Rehoboth, about 10 miles inland from the bay, the tree is frequently damaged by slightly lower winter temperatures, resulting in smaller, weaker trees.

            The greatest challenge to growing plants in this belt may be dealing with fungal disease on plants. Conditions are right for an explosion of fungal disease when moist fog settles in. The most likely plants to have their foliage damaged by disease include summer flowering garden phlox, lilac, roses, aster, and beebalm. To help avoid this problem, select disease-resistant varieties.

            Whether your home is on the coast or set back from the water, you need to take the distinctive features of your location into account as you garden. When you do, you’ll be able to spend more time enjoying the seaside views and less time addressing problems in the landscape.

www.rhodeislandhomedesign.com

Nearly everyone enjoys spending time near the ocean, and many plants do, too. But it can be very challenging to grow plants in weather conditions that can be brutal one day and docile the next. Seaside gardening isn’t limited to those who live directly on the waterfront. If your home is in a coastal community, it’s influenced by the bay or ocean. Wind, waves, salt spray, saltwater flooding, fog, sun exposure, and soil conditions all play a part in formulating your home’s unique microclimate. Understanding these environmental factors and knowing which plants are adapted to thrive in maritime environments is your key to a successful garden.

Dividing It Up

The area of land affected by coastal influences is divided into zones known as exposure belts. Remember that there are no hard lines delineating these zones, and growing conditions can change dramatically within a few hundred feet along the shore. You’ll also notice transition areas between the belts, where plants from one exposure belt intermingle with another based on local conditions.

Exposure Belt 1 – Seashore Conditions: land immediately adjacent to the water, including dunes, rocky shores, or marshes.

Exposure Belt 2 – Coastal Plain, Bay, and Protected Areas: land a bit back from the waterfront, slightly protected by trees, dunes, or other coastal landforms.

Exposure Belt 3 – Land even further away from the water but still affected by ocean weather.

If you are living directly along the Narragansett Bay or Atlantic waterfront in exposure belt 1, you benefit from a front seat on Rhode Island’s beautiful coast, but the plants in your landscape are put through the most rigorous tests of survival, exposed to gale force winds, salt water flooding, erosion, salt spray, and difficult soils. In this belt, you’ll find mainly perennials like seaside goldenrod and beach wormwood, and grasses like American beachgrass. Along Narragansett Bay in this belt, some woody plants can anchor their roots in the soil, but at the ocean, few woody plants can withstand these conditions. If your home is in the harshest of these environments, you’ll probably find it best to grow ornamental plants in containers.

Seaside Container Tips

Container gardening allows you to control the soil and moisture conditions. Select large, sturdy, heavyweight containers, not lightweight plastic or fiberglass ones that are more likely to tip over.  Position the containers in protected areas behind a fence or wall.  Don’t limit your container plant selection to annuals alone. Perennials, ornamental grasses, and low-growing shrubs are good choices as well, and all types of plants can be mixed in the same container. Stay away from tall shrubs and trees, as these plants, placed in relatively small pots compared to the size of the plant, may topple in heavy winds.  Select drought-tolerant plants for your containers if you only visit the home on weekends.

In Sheltered Locations

In the more protected areas of exposure belt 2, woody plants are able to get more of a foothold and the available planting palette increases dramatically. When you’re beginning the plant selection process, observing the native vegetation in the area is always a good place to start. Understanding the growing requirements of native plants will give you clues to selecting ornamentals that favor similar conditions. Here you’ll find shrubs including bayberry (Myrica pensylvanica), inkberry (Ilex glabra), beach plum (Prunus maritima), highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum), and arrowwood viburnum (Viburnum dentatum). Beach rose (Rosa rugosa) is also here, but you may be surprised to know that this ubiquitous, fragrant, thorny shrub is not a native. Its fruit, called rose hips, which contain the plant’s seeds, are easily spread along the coast by moving water, birds, and animals. Native trees that are at home in shelter belt 2 include the evergreens Eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana) and American Holly (Ilex opaca) and the deciduous Tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica) and red maple (Acer rubrum).

Improved selections of many native coastal plants are available at your favorite nursery. You can also find ornamentals that will thrive in exposure belt 2 gardens, such as butterfly bush (Buddleia sp.), mophead and lacecap hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla), lilac (Syringa sp.), and hybrid landscape roses (Rosa sp.).

In exposure belt 2, the use of hedges for privacy also has the added benefit of creating planting areas protected from strong and constant coastal winds. These sheltered pockets are where it’s safe to install plant material that in windy locations is prone to dry out or suffer from broken stems and tattered leaves. Hedges can take the form of formal, sheared shapes where space is a premium, or a looser, staggered planting with a mix of plant shapes and sizes.

            Gardeners further back from the water, in exposure belt 3, have the advantage of being able to grow the widest variety of plants. Here gardens have the benefit of a temperate coastal climate and are able to support plants that may not grow successfully just a few miles inland. For example, in Bristol, Warren, and Swansea, the Mimosa or silk tree (Albizia julibrissin) grows quickly into beautiful, mature specimens. But in North Rehoboth, about 10 miles inland from the bay, the tree is frequently damaged by slightly lower winter temperatures, resulting in smaller, weaker trees.

            The greatest challenge to growing plants in this belt may be dealing with fungal disease on plants. Conditions are right for an explosion of fungal disease when moist fog settles in. The most likely plants to have their foliage damaged by disease include summer flowering garden phlox, lilac, roses, aster, and beebalm. To help avoid this problem, select disease-resistant varieties.

            Whether your home is on the coast or set back from the water, you need to take the distinctive features of your location into account as you garden. When you do, you’ll be able to spend more time enjoying the seaside views and less time addressing problems in the landscape.

www.rhodeislandhomedesign.com

 

This month brings an end to the growing season. But there is a way to continue gardening with herbs and annuals in your home through the falland winter months. If you don’t have the time or desire to move plants indoors, you can freeze or dry herbs instead. Either way, your family will enjoy the pizzazz your own fresh herbs add to your favorite foods. Fond of the special variety of begonia, coleus, or geranium you purchased this year? Why not spare them from the inevitable by bringing them indoors for the winter? Once inside, they’ll reward you with cheerful color in the    depths of winter.

Herbs

Given enough sunlight and warm daytime and cooler nighttime temperatures, many of our tender and perennial herbs can be overwintered in your home. There’s no need for a greenhouse, grow-lights, or heated mats; a sunny, preferably south-facing windowsill will provide all the light the plants will need. You’ve got to act quickly, though, since for most herbs you’ll need to accomplish this task early in the month before a killing frost arrives. Two exceptions are parsley and chives, which are more tolerant of the cold and can be brought in later this month.

      If the herbs are growing in the ground, dig up a clump, shake off as much soil as possible to reduce the possibility of bringing pests and diseases into the house, and pot them up using a commercial potting soil. If you grew potted herbs this year, you’re already a step ahead. Transition them indoors by placing them in a sunny, covered porch or breezeway for a couple of days before bringing them inside. Even though they’ll be undercover, be sure to monitor the forecast for frost warnings just in case. Inspect potted plants for aphids, mites, and white flies before bringing them inside to avoid contaminating your houseplants. If your herbs are in plain plastic pots, consider repotting them in decorative glazed pots or time-worn terracotta to spruce up the kitchen’s décor.

The easiest windowsill herbs are:

• Parsley

Rosemary

Thyme

Mint

Chives

Bay

 Once indoors, they’ll need only adequate amounts of water and sunlight. You can stop fertilizing them until spring, like all houseplants. You can also give them an occasional light shower to wash away dust from their leaves. Since we’re on the topic of herbs, this month is also time to plant garlic for next summer’s harvest. Fortunately, the best time to plant garlic is after a hard frost, by which time your herb and annuals projects will already be complete.

 Flowering Annuals  

A couple of generations ago it was common for people to overwinter several kinds of annual flower plants, bulbs, and corms. Today, most people simply go to the garden center and buy new plants every spring. However, by overwintering your annuals you’ll benefit from larger plants, at no cost to you, the following spring. Given today’s economy, perhaps we’ll see a resurgence in interest in overwintering annual plants as a part of living more frugally.

        There are a few different overwintering methods, the simplest and easiest being the one preferred by my father: bring the window box of geraniums inside and place it in the sunroom. Next spring, cut the plants back and put the window box back outside. This method works satisfactorily with wax begonias, petunias, nasturtium, verbena, and lantana. Remember this short list is only a guide and gardening is about experimenting, so try a plant that’s not listed. You might be pleasantly surprised with the result. Annuals for indoors include:

• Geranium
• Wax Begonia
• Coleus
• Nasturtium
• Impatiens
• Petunia
• Verbena
• Lantana

 

     Last winter I salvaged my potted geraniums by bringing them into the cellar and placing them in front of an east-facing window. Occasionally, I rotated them to balance their growth as they reached toward the sparse amount of light coming through the window. I kept the soil somewhat moist to dry (at times you may forget about them, as I did). They sported an occasional flower, which was welcome, suffered the loss of many leaves, but came through just fine, leafing slowly but fully in the spring. My method is a first cousin to the old-fashioned way, which is to remove the geraniums from the pot, shake off all the soil, remove the leaves, and hang the plant upside down in a cool, well-ventilated space, such as an unfinished cellar. In March, the plant can be potted and placed in a sunny window to grow once again. But if you want to multiply your favorite geranium or coleus and get a jump on spring growth, cuttings are the way to go.

        Stem cuttings can be made as far back as August, but can also be made early this month. First, make sure the plant has had adequate moisture and is not wilted. Break or cut stems about three inches from the tip. Next, dip them in rooting powder and stick them, several to a large pot or clean six-pack, in mason’s sand, vermiculite, or perlite and fertilize at half the recommended amount for full grown plants. When the roots are an inch or two long, transplant the cuttings to individual pots and place them in a sunny window.

      When the arrival of cold nights spells an end to your neighbor’s garden, you’ll be content in having saved a bit of your garden for a flavorful or visual treat.

www.rhodeislandhomedesign.com

Rosemary

Thyme

Mint

Chives

Bay

 Once indoors, they’ll need only adequate amounts of water and sunlight. You can stop fertilizing them until spring, like all houseplants. You can also give them an occasional light shower to wash away dust from their leaves. Since we’re on the topic of herbs, this month is also time to plant garlic for next summer’s harvest. Fortunately, the best time to plant garlic is after a hard frost, by which time your herb and annuals projects will already be complete.

 Flowering Annuals  

A couple of generations ago it was common for people to overwinter several kinds of annual flower plants, bulbs, and corms. Today, most people simply go to the garden center and buy new plants every spring. However, by overwintering your annuals you’ll benefit from larger plants, at no cost to you, the following spring. Given today’s economy, perhaps we’ll see a resurgence in interest in overwintering annual plants as a part of living more frugally.

        There are a few different overwintering methods, the simplest and easiest being the one preferred by my father: bring the window box of geraniums inside and place it in the sunroom. Next spring, cut the plants back and put the window box back outside. This method works satisfactorily with wax begonias, petunias, nasturtium, verbena, and lantana. Remember this short list is only a guide and gardening is about experimenting, so try a plant that’s not listed. You might be pleasantly surprised with the result. Annuals for indoors include:

• Geranium
• Wax Begonia
• Coleus
• Nasturtium
• Impatiens
• Petunia
• Verbena
• Lantana

 

     Last winter I salvaged my potted geraniums by bringing them into the cellar and placing them in front of an east-facing window. Occasionally, I rotated them to balance their growth as they reached toward the sparse amount of light coming through the window. I kept the soil somewhat moist to dry (at times you may forget about them, as I did). They sported an occasional flower, which was welcome, suffered the loss of many leaves, but came through just fine, leafing slowly but fully in the spring. My method is a first cousin to the old-fashioned way, which is to remove the geraniums from the pot, shake off all the soil, remove the leaves, and hang the plant upside down in a cool, well-ventilated space, such as an unfinished cellar. In March, the plant can be potted and placed in a sunny window to grow once again. But if you want to multiply your favorite geranium or coleus and get a jump on spring growth, cuttings are the way to go.

        Stem cuttings can be made as far back as August, but can also be made early this month. First, make sure the plant has had adequate moisture and is not wilted. Break or cut stems about three inches from the tip. Next, dip them in rooting powder and stick them, several to a large pot or clean six-pack, in mason’s sand, vermiculite, or perlite and fertilize at half the recommended amount for full grown plants. When the roots are an inch or two long, transplant the cuttings to individual pots and place them in a sunny window.

      When the arrival of cold nights spells an end to your neighbor’s garden, you’ll be content in having saved a bit of your garden for a flavorful or visual treat.