There is no feeling like that of a new garden creator. It’s a heady mix of power, deep satisfaction, humility when something goes wrong and joy when you see it eventually doing so well.
If you’ve recently built or moved into a new home, or are just getting bit by the gardening bug, creating a new garden by the breaking of brand new ground can be either a wonderful, or a painful, experience.
The hardest lesson to teach a new gardener is patience. In our “instant gratification” society there is an alarming emphasis on “results now.” When you build a garden the only thing that happens right away is sweat and a sore back.
Patience is a required tool in the gardener’s arsenal, both at the planning stage and at the actual doing stage. Anyone can dig up a piece of ground and throw a few plants in. It takes time to create a garden.
So, what are the things to consider before you put a shovel to soil? First, consider what plants will grow in your garden. If you have no shade anywhere on your property, but plant ten rhododendrons anyway because you like the flowers, things will not turn out well.
Take notes in the months before you execute your plan; where are the shady spots, where does the snow take a little longer to melt, how high does the temperature reach on the south side of the house? Every property has countless little idiosyncrasies that can have big implications for your future garden.
Next thing to consider is the soil you have to deal with. Is it pure sand, solid rock or somewhere in between? All soils are basically composed of sand, silt and clay. Ideally, you want your soil to be 40 per cent sand, 40 per cent silt and 20 per cent clay. What is your soil’s chemistry? Our Okanagan soils tend to be alkaline, with high pH. Some plants don’t mind, but others would rather die and that’s probably what they’ll eventually do if you don’t take steps to correct the problem.
Remember, soil can be changed. The organic content of sandy soils can be increased by mixing compost, manure or peat into it. Your soil can be tested for its acidity or alkalinity and altered accordingly.
Give some thought to what you want the garden to do for you, and don’t try to fight Mother Nature. If you live on a hillside with sandy soils, no shade and exposure to heavy winds, it might be a touch difficult to replicate a Vancouver Island woodland garden.
Work with what you’ve been dealt. You can still create a lush garden, it will just take a little more planning, using the right kinds of plants and-here’s that word again-patience.
Finally, don’t worry about it. After you’ve decided what you want to do, and you have all the information you need about the plants and the site, go to it.
Gardening is like an afternoon soap opera. It’s a daily series of unexpected plot twists, shocking revelations, plots that go nowhere and then get back on track, heroes (plants that do well) and villains (usually weeds, or plants that do too well).
Gardens have no ending, but only one beginning. So start right.
