Small Business Knowledge Network w/ Jim Vogel – From Horse and Buggy to AI: The Next Great Business Revolution
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So, why am I talking about summer, when it’s the beginning of Spring? Because NOW is the time to fix those problem areas.
Okay, I get it, you don’t want to do soil tests, and you have no idea what PH is — and that’s okay. You can adjust your garden without getting technical. The way to do that is COMPOST! Whether you make it (see our article here), or you buy it, add compost to your dry beds now BEFORE they get so dry that nothing survives.
You can add it to the top and take a 3-pronged hand tool and work it in — or you can get out your garden fork and break up that soil and really mix it in. (If you have clay soil, you’ll need to dig it in.) The work you do now, will make a big difference later this summer.
I know from sad experience that the garden bed in front of my house where I envisioned beautiful flowers, only has pansies and snapdragons in the spring. By summer, whatever I plant there doesn’t last long.
The only thing that survived last year was a small patch of “Hens and Chickens” — don’t worry, I don’t mean poultry! There are two types that do well in full sun and well-drained soil: Sedum and Sempervivum.
You can’t go wrong with a plant that’s named “Always Living” in Latin! Also, the common name for sempervivum is hens and chicks because it starts with a central plant and baby plants grow out from it. Once the “baby” plants get bigger, they develop roots of their own and can be separated and planted elsewhere. They make fun gifts too!
There are a great many sedum and sempervivum in our garden centers now. It’s important to read the labels because both of these plants are in a class called succulents. BUT, not all succulents are winter-hardy. It will definitely state on the label whether is in an Annual (doesn’t survive our winters) or a Perennial (comes back every year).
The other reason to read the labels, is to figure out how big a plant gets both TALL and WIDE. Even if you want a cottage-look or a more thickly planted garden, it’s important to take into consideration how much a single plant will spread. The spacing helps you determine how many plants you need.
Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ is a marvelous variety for our hot weather. It can grown 18 inches tall and about the same width after a couple of years. It has lovely red flowers at the end of summer. That’s not what I planted in my garden because my “dead zone” is right in front. Tall plants will not look good there.
I fell in love with 3 types of sedum/sempervivum in my garden center. Yes, I could have chosen just one variety and my border would have been classic and uniform, but I love variety. I chose two kinds of low-growing sedum, one a brilliant green, and the other a variegated kind of white/green/red. Then I just had to have some contrasting “hens and chicks”.
I bought a high-quality garden soil that had lots of compost in it. As I planted each sedum and sempervivum, I dug in a large pot full of the garden soil. I planted each one slightly under the suggested spacing, but with plenty of room to grown. Then I watered it in.
I am debating edging that garden with rocks to help hold the soil in and to give the plants something to grow over. I definitely need to mulch. These plants do great with a stone mulch or a fine mulch like the twice shredded hardwood mulch.
I am happy with the results and look forward to seeing them grow and thrive over the spring and summer. Note: Even though these plants survive well with little water, they do need regular, small amounts of water for the first year.
Ellen Stafford is the managing editor for LKNConnect.com. Making and eating delicious food is one of her favorite pastimes! A life-long gardener, she considers getting dirty planting vegetables and flowers great exercise and tremendously rewarding as she enjoys her four season garden.
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