Plants - Basics

 

Exclusion from a list therefore doesn't mean that a plant doesn't deserve it on merit. I've tried myself to  buy plants from impressive looking planting lists and only been able to get a third or half of them easily (or not so easily for that matter).

Don't be put off by plants because their mature size is greater than you would like.

Most, especially trees take many years to get so big and you could enjoy them for this time before they outgrow your space and the felling axe needs to come out.

Also, plants can often be planted closer together in the early days than their ultimate size would imply, when they start to get crowded, then lift them and move them. Just make sure you keep the root ball as big as possible and do it in the winter when they are dormant. This is a better approach than having years where there are great open spaces between the plants while you wait (and weed) for them to meet in the middle.

So then, how exactly do we get the little green buggers to grow? The key is to learn to look at life from the plants point of view.

A bit of basic biology;

    Plants get their food from sunlight. This is what powers them. If they don't get enough, they don't grow well or quickly, they flower less, fruit less and are more susceptible to disease.

    Water is vital in the correct quantities. Plants get through water like we do.  Fortunately the soil that they are growing in acts as a reservoir for water so they don't need regular cups of tea. Filling the reservoir three times just makes it overflow and doesn't compensate for weeks with no water. If they stand in water for too long, they get trench foot - some are more sensitive than others.

    Plants compete with each other for light, water and nutrients. If planted too close, then there will probably be a winner and a loser, or maybe just losers. You can help however by feeding and watering more frequently. This is what happens when plants are grown in containers such as hanging baskets and why containers are not an option for the reluctant gardener.

    Nature has produced the best competitors for any given environment. We tend to refer to them as "weeds". These are the xenophobic hardy natives who try to ethnically cleanse the area of our chosen interlopers.

    Nature, or parts of it regard many of our precious garden plants as in the category "Food".

    Nature has designed plants to fit in a particular place in the world. We choose them because we like the look of them. This is the most artificial reason there could be. If in doubt go with nature and not against it. You wouldn't try to harness a mongoose and plough a field with it or expect a dormouse to survive in the Antarctic. We can get away with some strange things in the garden, but there's a limit.

    Depending on their origins plants have different degrees of hardiness, some can withstand the wind, some can't, some can take cold, some can't. How they have been grown can also affect their early months in your garden. A perfectly hardy plant may have been raised in a polythene tunnel or greenhouse to bring it on quicker. It will be like a London bond dealer expected to perform to the same standard in a new job as a horny-handed son of toil. He will probably eventually get there but not before suffering a lot first.

So plants need;

Light,     Water,     Nutrients,     Space,     The right soil conditions,
and ..... not to be beaten up, eaten, frozen or battered by the wind.

If they aren't happy, then it's because one or more of these are wrong. Think about what it might be - look at it from the plants point of view.

Tips

    Do some local research, look around at what is in neighbors gardens.

    You can't domesticate plants, if nature has decreed they will grow to such a size, then they will, they won't know that you don't want them to.

    Plants that naturally grow on acidic soils won't survive on chalk and won't do so well in neutral soil either. Rhododendrons, Camellias, Azaleas & Heathers must be among the most frequently killed of all plants. They look fabulous when they are sold in bud or flower, but they're all too often planted in ordinary soil when their acid requiring (note not "loving"- that implies optionality) needs condemn them to an early demise.

They may spend years hanging on hinting that they might just repeat that initial glory next year, but never actually do - Azaleas are particularly good at this.

    Keep an eye on your new acquisitions when they are first planted out. Coddle them a bit. Water if needed, weed around them (you will have disturbed the soil to plant them so weeds are more likely), make sure they're not crowded out and look for signs of pests. You probably don't need to actually talk to them, but a bit of attention for the new boy (or girl) can work wonders.

    Plant fragrant plants near to the house or alongside frequently used paths. Fragrant plants are not usually the showiest and it is easy to forget about them no matter how wonderful their perfume if they're out of immediate sight or are placed at a distance. Place the scented plants nearby so that you enjoy them more and the showier, but non-scented flowers further away where you can still appreciate them without walking over to them.