Monday 9 October 2017

Tricky Areas in my Garden

I think there must be tricky areas in every garden. Places where the soil is too moist or too dry, where soil is too shallow or barren, where there's too much sun or too much shade, where the land slopes considerably so the rain just runs off and areas under the cover of decks or verandahs that no rainfall can reach. So it is in my garden!


Here, within the boundary of our suburban home, there have been many challenges to overcome in the garden. First and foremost was the soil. Shale atop clay and rock was all we had to work with on our denuded, empty block when we bought it. The topsoil had been scraped away by the developer so there was no soil of any depth to sink a spade into. (In fact, we were lucky if we could sink half a spade in!)


The beginnings of our home on our suburban block.

The solution to this lack of deep, fertile soil continues as a work in progress. All the garden beds were constructed with "soil" carted in from the local landscaping supplier. Had I known then what I know now, I would've done a lot more to that "dirt" before I planted a single thing in it. (Hindsight is indeed a wonderful thing!) 


 
Compost = better soil!

The ongoing solution to this poor starting base has been to add as much organic matter to the soil as possible and to keep on building it up! Compost, castings and tea from our worm farm, seaweed solution, manures, rock minerals and mulches. Our soil is improving and so now more grows here. 


Mandarins, rocket, calendula, lavender and leek!

Another challenge here has been the south-westerly facing front yard. Many of the original plants I put in out the front, before I really knew much about gardening at all beyond the flowers I liked, shrivelled up in Summer heat. Gradually, native shrubs have replaced those plants that were unsuited to those hot, dry conditions. Now, whenever I see our gorgeous grevilleas in bloom, in reds and pinks and golds, I am reminded of all that I've learned about choosing the right plant for the position you are going to plant it in. The native birds are happy too!


Native Grevilleas replaced the standardised Gardenias in this garden bed. 
(Can you see the struggling Magnolia Little Gem between them?)

The pretty pink flowers on these Grevilleas.

The slope of our land has also presented challenges. Garden beds in the higher areas dry out much more quickly. I've tried to choose plants, like salvias, that don't mind these drier conditions once they are established in the garden beds at the 'top' of my garden. They are colourful, hardy and bring in the bees. Another slope was created when our block was "cut" to create the level pad for where the house was built. The solution for this long, narrow and rocky slope, that runs down to our Eastern boundary, was to plant a creeper that would cover it. Bauhinia corymbosa or the butterfly vine is fast-growing, hardy and has the most pretty pink flowers. 


The creeper that covers little rocky slope.
(The leaves from neighbouring trees fall, decompose & nourish the plants.)

It's beautiful pink flowers.

Along part of the back boundary, our neighbour planted a lillipilly hedge very close to the fence. The roots of this hedge have spread over into the garden bed we made on our side of the fence. They take up a lot of the moisture and nutrients from that soil making it very difficult to grow much in this area.


My wonderful wicking barrels.

My solution was to plant above the existing soil in wicking barrels. It only took me the better part of a decade to figure this out!! The lillipilly hedge provides some shade for these barrels in the hottest months of the year. When the neighbours cut the hedge back in Autumn, more light reaches the barrels in the cooler months. 

Each time I replenish the topmost layer of soil in these barrels, I spread out the "leftovers" on the garden bed around them. I've worked compost into this each time and over the past year a few things have started to spring up in between the barrels, namely self-seeded pumpkins and lettuce. (Can you see the little pumpkin plants in the photo above?) This year, I've sprinkled some Zinnia seeds in between the barrels too and am watching to see if they'll germinate. If they do,  they will add lots of colour to this area but also provide more Summer food for my little native bees who love to forage in Zinnia flowers.

I can now grow food & flowers in this area.


We are very lucky to have a long verandah that wraps around most of our home plus a wider rotunda that extends our living area outside. The garden beds underneath presented a real challenge though because they receive no rainfall. The soil can dry out very quickly in these sheltered garden beds.


Tough native gingers growing under our front verandah.


Both of these areas needed really tough plants. Under the front verandah, native gingers are growing. They tolerate the drier soil and hot Summer sun. They have lovely green strappy leaves and a flower spike covered in little white flowers. After the flowers, blue berries form that are very popular with native birds. They are also a bush tucker plant. 

Under the rotunda, and after much frustrating trial and error, I planted spider plantsThey are gradually multiplying in this area and slowly filling it in. They have strappy variegated foliage, like to dry out between waterings and are easily propagated by division.  Although a common houseplant, they can also be grown outside. I am also testing out other "free" plants, like Agapanthus, as I divide them from existing garden plantings. It's cheaper that way!


 Spider plants growing  in the garden under our rotunda.

So, these have been the major challenges in our garden and the solutions we've arrived at ... some after much trial and error. What challenges has your garden presented and how have you overcome them?

Meg















19 comments:

  1. Looks like you have a beautiful garden there Meg. It is a whole lot of trial and error isn't it? And building knowledge as you go along. I love the wooden barrels, a great solution and they look so good! We are still watching our garden to see where shade falls in the different seasons. I am trying to work out where would be best to plant most of our herbs and the spot I think is a great location, may be too shady. Decisions!

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    1. I've learnt as I've gone along, Belinda, and things have changed as they've needed too. My main veggie patch runs along the ramp at the back of our house, facing North, and that's where I grow herbs. I think it's a great idea to take your time and observe your garden - less expensive mistakes that way! Meg:)

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  2. Your garden has so many different areas to it Meg giving it great variety. You've overcome the challenges over time and I think that's the best way. We learn as we go and slowly but surely work it out. It seems you have it all sorted now.
    Your garden looks very healthy and is certainly well cared for. You must be so proud. I'm sure it's a beautiful place for the bees and birds as well as a relaxing place to sit.
    The trickiest area for us would be the garden bed outside our bedroom window as it doesn't receive any sun. After leaving it bear for many years I ended up planting winter roses which are doing ok. Still working things out however one year on and they're still alive and slowly growing. I also put stones next to the garden bed in a sand colour which brightens the area too.
    Kylie

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    1. Fully shaded areas are very tricky, Kylie, but it sounds like your Winter roses are doing okay and hopefully they'll continue to grow for you. I have two yellow Clivias up in the furthermost corner of my garden, shaded by a Magnolia Little Gem. I'm not sure if they are suited to your climate but they are gorgeous plants. Meg:)

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  3. It's looking great, Meg! You must be pleased with how it's coming on.

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    1. Thanks, I am really pleased with how it's going. I'm most happy about being able to grow some food in garden, in the veggie patch that runs along our back ramp. I also like that there's lots of flowers. I am a bit besotted with flowers! Meg:)

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  4. I have the native ginger and spider plants too. Very hardy. That grevillea also looks like a Robyn Gordon variety. One of the only variants of grevillea I have found will grow here - other than HoneyGem. So I can fully appreciate how it can do so well, in your chosen location. Ours survive in a SW position as well.

    Your garden looks so lovely, and I'm sure, worth the effort spent on improving the soil. Let me count the ways our garden challenges us, hang on, let's not. ;)

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    1. The two pink flowering grevilleas in the photo are Grevillea Lollypops and they are thriving! I planted them where I once tried to grow standardised Gardenias (Oh, the inexperience!) They love this position, have really filled in the space & are covered in flowers for most of the year. The local birds love them! I wonder, given they are doing so well in the SW position, if they might grow at your place too? Meg:)

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    2. Thanks for letting me know the particular variety. I'll have to keep an eye out for them. I've not seen those one's sold in our region before. "Superb" is touted as a survivor to our local conditions. Taking a closer look at the Lollypops foliage however, it's reminiscent of the "Honey Gem", which does wonderfully here. I'll have to speak with our local nursery.

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  5. Our garden looks the same as it was 8 years ago when we moved in, there are loads more plants now> I have had loads of trail and error, even in our very small plot. Now instead of buying any pretty plant I see which often dies in our clay soil. I now decide which plant I want before I go to the garden center, and often I have researched it online. I love the fact our gardens always require us to be in them.

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    1. It's a great idea to research plants before you go to the nursery. My favourite nursery is attached to the city farm. Usually I go to get veggie seedlings and I find they too give great advice there. Meg:)

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  6. your gardens look lovely & very colourful!
    i'm still doing a lot of trial & error here, it's very dry here & the soil is the black sticky clay & lots of stones! it took me 5 goes with Jacaranda trees to finally get one to grow on the western side of the house, a very young one. it's now 10'@ high & still growing. i have probably planted 100 or more natives through out the place but sadly very few have survived, i'm still planting natives but at a much slower rate so i can get them established before planting more. it's also pot luck with any fruit trees too. herbs & geraniums seem to do well here, which is a blessing as i love both, not much of my flower seeds came up but it's still 'spring' so they might pop yet.
    wonderful plants in your gardens too
    thanx for sharing

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    1. I know how hot and dry it can get up your way, Selina! It sounds like you are figuring out what will grow. There's wonderful diversity in geraniums. They look lovely in garden beds and in pots too. I hope you Jacaranda keeps on growing for you and will shade the western side of the house for you. They are one of my favourite trees, in our neighbourhood here they are just coming in to bloom. So very pretty! Meg:)

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  7. Your garden looks beautiful. There wasn't much growing in my yard when I moved here. The cottage had been vacant for two years. I layered heavy mulch to nourish the soil, and then started planting. It gets very hot here in the summer, too. The citrus trees do well, and I just grow vegetables when it's cooler. Each year I learn more about what works.

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    1. Growing vegetables when it's cooler, to fit in with your climate, sounds really wise. Having lots of your own citrus sounds wonderful. We only have a mandarin growing here at present, it took 7years before it fruited! Meg:)

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  8. Your garden looks lovely Meg! Heat in summer and powdery mildew spores are my garden's nemeses! I don't grow much in the veggie patch during summer, thus saving a lot of water. I've filled in a lot of the 'gaps' in the front garden with bromeliads, lomandra grasses, and other 'strappy' plants.

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    1. I'm not growing much this Summer either, Maria. Just salad veg with cherry toms in the wicking barrels, lettuce and cucumbers mainly. It is hard to keep the water up to a large veggie patch when it's dry over the Summer. Meg:)

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  9. Your garden looks good Meg. It must be such a challenge with not enough water. Grevilleas are great, and the birds just love them here. We have clay soil and it seems to take a few years of plants struggling, then all of a sudden they are away, growing furiously - must be when they get their roots well established.

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    1. I love grevilleas, Anne. We have a red flowering one, the pink ones in these photos and then a beautiful golden one. I love seeing the beautiful parrots that come to feast on them. Such a joy! Meg:)

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