Clinton News-Record, 1985-4-17, Page 60.Design
an
By Pat Tucker
Grounds Department
University of Guelph
Most of its would like a beautiful garden
that requires little upkeep. Vast expanses of
pavement and lawn are, no doubt, the easiest
to care for, however, they would appear
monotonous. You could re -landscape the lot
back to native bush - a low -maintenance
solution in the tang run - but the initial costs
would be high.
re between these extremes, there
y medium, where the landscape has
but is relatively easy to maintain.
There ate many ways to achieve this goal.
First, examine the areas that require the
greatest care, usually the lawn fits this
category.,If your garden has trees, rocks and
flower beds set in the lawn, trimming and
edging will be as great a chore as straight
mowing. Keegp these garden features around
the perimet&of the lawn or in the foundation
planting around the house. Avoid locating
objects in lawn areas if they will require hand
clipping to control grass growth around them.
Arrange shrubs, trees, and perennials in
larger beds with gentle curves. The curves
are easier to negotiate with a lawn mower
than sharp corners, so common with poor
design.
You may wish to install mowing strips,
where lawns abut walls or rock gardens.
These strips are set into soil at grade level.
The mower wheels run along the strip, and
cut to the lawn edge. The strips may be 2 x
4 -inch lumber, concrete curbs, bricks,
pavement, or metal edging backed by gravel.
Much has been written about ground
covers as a means of reducing maintenance,
however, initial costs can be high, and
establishment difficult. Beds of perennials,
shrubs, evergreens, and trees can be
combined into larger beds, to reduce lawn
trimming. Ground covers may be used to
integrate these plantings •into a composite
landscape pattern.
giGround covers may include low -growing
oody plants, evergreens, and herbaceous
perennials. Skogholm cotoneaster, Andorra
juniper and sweet woodruff are examples of
each type, respectively.
Many Ontario wild flowers are easy to
establish as ground covers in shady areas.
Try such plants as wild ginger, mayapple,
and ferns, to control weeds, conserve
moisture, and prevent erosion.
Drastic changes in grade present large
maintenance problems: Grass, traditionally
used for banks, is difficult to cut. It often dries
out, and becomes .weedy. Consider retaining
walls to correct grade differences, or if the
area is extensive, plant one of the coarse -
growing . legumes, such as crown vetch,
bird's -foot trefoil or flat pea, into the bank.
Eventually, these nitrogen -fixing plants
crowd out grasses and other weeds to form a
maintenance -free bank. Beware, these plants
are coarse growers, and should not be used
. • for small residential plantings. On a smaller
scale, use•some of the low -spreading junipers
or cotoneasters.
W here trees are well established in lawns,
remove the sod in a circle around the tree,
and mulch the area. Not only does this make
mowing easier, it reduces the competition of
grass growing over tree roots. Mulches can
be used as a substitute for ground covers, to
control erosion, reduce weeds, and conserve
moisture. W hether they are of vegetative or
mineral origin, they perform essentially the
same function. The only difference between
the two types is that organic mulches break
down eventually, and must be replaced.
Wood chips, pine bark, and cocoa bean hulls,
are examples of organic mulches:
Stone chips and plastic are popular
inorganic mulch materials. Plastic has its
limitations because it tends to seal off oxygen
and water to plant roots. Its use is limited to
mulch vegetables, such as tomatoes, cucum-
bers, and melons. Stone chips are useful for
areas where moisture is minimal, such as
Somew
ahap
appeal
sycare garden
Perhaps the greatest contribution to the
easy -care garden is made by the plants you
select. Some are susceptible to insects and
diseases: others are prone to storm damage.
Selecting plants that are relatively mainten-
ance -free is the name of the game.
Leaf raking can be kept to a mimimum by
using fine -leaved trees, such as the honey
locust and Russian olive, or evergreens that
shed only a small portion of needles yearly.
Avoid the coarser, fast-growing trees, such
as poplars and willows. They are disease -
prone, and shed leaves or branches after
every major storm.
Over the past 20 years, the nursery
industry has selected cultivars of evergreens,
trees, and shrubs, that are more disease
resistant, and slower growing. These newer
cultivars do not require as much care and
pruning as their predecessors.
For example, the compact pfitzer juniper
replaces pfitzer junipers, and the old gold
juniper will replace the golden pfitzer. Not
only do these plants Mature more slowly, but
they are tailored for the modern house lot.
Hobby gardeners tend to grow some of the
more spectacular landscape plants. Specialist
types of plants, such as roses, rhododen-
DON'T GET SP
drons, irises and alpines, require specialized
care, which is not for the easy -care gardener.
Substitute care -free shrubs, such as dog-
. 'ods, honeysuckles, hydrangeas and the
beauty bush, to fill in perimeter plantings.
In sunny locations, use Day lilies. rud-
becldas, and yarrows to provide bright
summer color. These perennials are easy to
care for, and persist year after year.
Sub -alpines, such as basket -of -gold, rock
cress, and baby's breath, are care -free
perennials that are ideal for rockeries or dry
wall plantings.
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