Mature gardens, like mature gardeners, may need a bit of extra care in late-summer. Those of us enjoying a freshly redone garden or a new garden can simply sit back and enjoy the particular pleasures of August in Maryland. I, however, have recently been at work in my very mature garden. And after reviving myself from near-heatstroke, let me suggest three items to add to the Summer Garden To-Do List if you too have a beloved, older garden.
Whether you’re a do-it-yourself gardener or have a reliable landscape team helping you care for your garden, you may want to consider these 3 tasks: POLICING, PRUNING, POPULATING.
POLICING
The English Ivy in my garden is a perfect example of this first August task. By late-summer it has found its way up the magnolia, over the driveway curb, and even around the trunk of my two American Hollies. Now, I’m a fan of English Ivy. I prefer its lush green to an over-abundance of wood chips or bark mulch. But I know you may be thinking, “Mulch knows its place; ivy runs wild.” And that is what I noticed recently as I drank lemonade, swatted mosquitoes, and cast my eyes across my garden. So, here are some areas you may want to check for further attention.
Ground Cover: Whether you have ivy, periwinkle, or (goodness, I hope not) Virginia creeper. Check that the growth is not infringing on lawns or flower beds. From afar it’s possible to overlook the spreading vines.
Dangerous & Destructive Invaders: While you’re monitoring the ground cover, keep a look-out for plants that don’t belong. I’m thinking, specifically, of Poison Ivy and Poison Oak. These nasty invaders find their way into flower beds and easily hide among the ivy leaves until they’re well-established. By the time you may notice them, they have sent tendrils far and wide! Cleaver is another troublemaker. It’s that delicate and very sticky plant that looks so fragile but clings to anything—your garden pants, the dog’s tail, a rake. It, too, hides among the plants’ foliage until it has wound itself around stems, choking out even hardy flowers.
Shrub & Tree Growth: Mature gardens, like favorite pets, seem to get-away with things. I never want to lop off a branch from my beloved Tulip Magnolia or reshape my hardy, old Boxwood… but I should! In the heat of late summer, while we’re languid and at leisure, we can look over the shapes of our garden’s larger residents—the Japanese Maple, the azaleas, the hydrangea and lilac bushes. If they’re happy and well, they’ll keep growing and spreading without your noticing. (And that is where a good landscaper service can be of help. They might have offered some pruning suggestions—as difficult as it may be to think about.)
Which leads me to my second recommendation…
PRUNING
Now that you’ve taken a closer look at the beloved plants, shrubs, and trees in your garden, it may be time to take a deep breath and commit to cutting back, cutting out, lopping off, and reshaping.
Photo Gallery: Before I start going wild with my pruning shears and pole saw, I take a series of photos of the areas where I’m thinking of pruning. This collection of photos serves several purposes. First, I can see the specimens in perspective, in relation to the other trees, shrubs, and flower beds. Consider balance, proportion, and how the plants relate to your home’s architecture. (I was amazed to note in a photo that my beloved Camelia was beginning to interfere with my view from a living room window, and a magnolia branch would soon overshadow a sunny flowerbed!) Another advantage to the photos is providing a visual guide for the professional gardeners who may come to do the heavy work of cutting limbs and woody bushes.
Equipment: Be sure, if you are doing the pruning, that your tools are properly sharpened and of the correct size for the tasks you’re undertaking. It may be wise to make this a two-person task. When you’re head-down in the azaleas, you may not see the effect of removing that woody branch that extends too far. Or you may need a helper to keep you from tumbling off the stepstool or into the koi pond. Because you’ll need strength and sharp tools, you may want to hire qualified landscapers for pruning.
POPULATING
Late summer is the ideal time to re-examine our gardens, to see the beds of flowers after the joys of spring and early-summer blooms. Reconsider plantings when the humidity and heat of summer are taking their toll.
“Holes” in the garden: Our plans are not always accomplished, sometimes due to our miscalculations, sometimes due to unanticipated events. There may be areas in the garden that once bloomed with iris and phlox, but now the area shows only green leaves. Or, during a summer storm a great tree limb fell, destroying the lovely Japanese Spirea you’d been coaxing along. Whatever the cause, are there plants you’ll want to add in a month-or-so? Are there bulbs you’ll want in those empty spaces?
Seed Harvesting: Now is the time to stop deadheading your blooms and begin collecting seeds for spring planting. You may want to add more marigolds around the deck and red poppies along the picket fence. Collect and save the seeds. And your sweet cosmos will happily give up its seeds to you, or just let the seeds settle to the ground. They’ll reseed themselves with little help from you. Additionally, let me suggest a Seed Swap. Send out an email to friends and neighbors suggesting they too save seeds from their gardens. Little envelopes with named seeds can be brought to a central swap or even mailed to participants.
Dividing: Okay, those of us with mature gardens are well aware of the overly enthusiastic hostas and lilies that can over-populate our flowerbeds. So, while it may be too hot to wrangle a shovel and garden fork, it’s a good time to make a list or even a little diagram of what needs to be divided. Again, when the gardeners come to prune, maybe they can dig-and-divide those big, beautiful Francee or First Frost hostas.
All this is not to suggest you should get crackin’ and not enjoy your garden’s delights at your leisure. No! Do rest in the peace and cool serenity of your garden. But, when your mind wanders, give some thought to these three suggestions for keeping your garden beautiful.
