As with most of our lives over the past 4 months, my sonâs life has taken on a very narrow scope. As a freshman at Middle Tennessee State University, his life used to include get- togethers with friends, professors lecturing in classrooms, strolls around a gorgeous campus, Sunday morning church services and trips to Nashville. Now his life is centered in his bedroom and his computer screen. Classes are taught virtually, he communicates with friends through Messenger, church services are held through Zoom, and strolls consist of walking around our neighborhood. The shift has given him a new perspective. About a month ago he mentioned that our neighbors work in their yard every day. His window overlooks their yard and he has a front row seat to their hard work. Of course I had noticed that their yard always look fantastic, I just hadnât noticed how much work it takes to keep it that way.
Our conversation has prompted a little soul searching on my part. Why am I not in my yard working every day? In the past, I probably would have said it is because I am busy with my kids. My kids are older and I canât use that excuse anymore. Is it because I work full time? Maybe, but my work is centered around landscaping so that doesnât seem like a good reason. The explanation that I finally came up with is âI donât want to.â The reason I am not out there pulling weeds, pruning shrubs, dividing and transplanting perennial flowers, planting annuals, cutting back spring blooming bulb foliage is simply because I donât want to. Does this make me a lazy gardener? The thought keeps going round and round in my head. Why am I not out in my garden like my neighbor? Does this make me lazy? I have a lot of faults, but being lazy isnât one of them. I just think it is because when I am outside I want to be doing other things rather than gardening. Camping, hiking, picnicking, and evening walks are playing key roles my familyâs lives right now. In some respects we are enjoying nature now more than ever before. We are just enjoying it from afar rather than up close as we do gardening chores.
If you are like me and would like the luxury of admiring your yard from afar, here are a few tips and tricks.
1. Plan before you plant. Consider the mature height and width of a plant before you put it in the ground. Pruning isnât always easy or fun. Minimize the amount of pruning by doing a bit of research first.
2. Consider the size of your planting beds. As our yards mature, usually the size of planting beds increase. This may be wonderful for you because it gives you more room to plant. For some though, these planting beds come with more weeds than good plants. If your beds have gotten too big, consider putting down sod. It is easier to mow than to weed.
3. Evaluate and renovate, when needed. Know when a certain area needs to be tended to, carefully evaluate what plants are working and what plants should be removed. For me, gardening projects are much more enjoyable when tackled wholeheartedly. As opposed to doing a little bit at a time, I tend to tackle whole areas and then sit back and admire the finished project for years to come.
4. Prioritize gardening projects and tackle some right away. As much as I donât want to be in my garden every day, I do recognize that there are certain tasks I cannot delay. Weeds are only going to get bigger. See a weed? Pull it! Need help with weeding? Pre-emergent herbicides or landscape fabric, when used in the right circumstances (and according to label directions), may help suppress the weeds.
5. Know your limitations. Want a low maintenance garden? Look for plants that are a bit forgiving. That may mean that they donât require as much water as others, they can be pruned throughout the year, you can walk on them, they are insect and/or disease resistant, they are rabbit resistant or a myriad of other things.
6. Right plant, right place. Before purchasing a plant make sure you understand its cultural requirements. This includes how much water it likes, the type of soil it grows best in and how much light it requires. Be respectful of this information and make sure to site the plant correctly in your yard.
7. Consider planting perennial flowers instead of annual flowers. Although there is no perennial flower that will give you the length of color that an annual flower will, there are long bloom time perennial flowers. Tired of planting annuals each year? Consider switching over to a flower that will survive the winter and flower again next year.
8. Spread mulch in your planting beds. Yes, mulch is a bit of a pain because it needs to be spread on a regular basis. The benefits of mulch though are many. Mulch helps to suppress the weeds, adds organic matter into the soil and helps the soil retain moisture.
9. Know when a plant has to go! Is there a certain plant that is labor intensive? Something that you have to consistently prune or weed around? Consider removing it. It is tough sometimes to remove a living plant, but at some point, you may want to remove it for the sake of moving to a more low maintenance garden.
10. Focus on the beauty. Your yard is probably much more beautiful than you realize. Sit back and enjoy it every so often. You have earned it!
Kathleen Carr is the owner of The Growing Scene, Inc., a garden center and landscaping company. She can be reached by calling 815-923-7322 or emailing her at Kathleen@thegrowingscene.com. Have a gardening question? Please contact her. She may address it in an upcoming column
