Gardening 101 with Horticulturalist Beth Parker

A Gardening Philosophy

My philosophy for gardening is that it should be fun and easy to see beautiful results and not be another chore. Therefore, I have always tried to plant low maintenance, low water plants. This has always been my philosophy, but I have gone from xericscape plants (drought-tolerant plants from anywhere) to native plants (plants that grow or come from Missouri), which are suited for our temperatures, rainfall, and Missouri’s pollinators and wildlife. This change alone has made my gardening easier. I do also still consider myself a plant nerd, so if there is a plant I love but it’s not a native plant, I still put it in the garden.

Why August Is a Good Time to Chat about Outdoor Gardening

Now is a good time to talk about gardening because it is often too hot to plant anything or even do maintenance.  It is also the time to see all of your hard work blooming. It is also a good time to discuss plants because cooler temperatures are coming. Fall and spring are the best times for planting because the cooler temperatures put less stress on the plants and their needs. Fall is even better than spring planting for trees because the roots continue to establish throughout the winter. Annuals should be planted right after last frost date where you live.  Mid summer is the hardest time to plant because the plants need more attention and water.

How to Tackle an Overgrown Garden

The hardest part about an overgrown garden is plant identification: what is a weed and what is a desired plant? To help with this task, you can hire landscapers to help or find a Master Gardener who needs volunteer hours to help. There are also many Facebook groups that can help you identify plants. 

When it comes to gardens, there are definitely different garden styles, so someone else’s garden you might inherit with a new house might not be your style. We also tend to care more for the plants we put in ourselves. On the other hand, plants are expensive, and established plants are usually bigger and more resilient than new plantings—all things to consider when faced with the decision of whether to revitalize an overgrown garden or start from scratch. 

5 Things to Consider Before Planting

1. The soil type 
2. How many hours of sun the area receives
3. The direction from which the sun is coming (north, south, east, or west)
4. Whether anything would be blocked if a plant at mature height is planted in a specific location (For example, would it grow over a window or block the view to the playground?) 
5. Whether all four season interests are met in the garden design 

Basic Rules of Garden Design & Maintenance

Garden Design: 

• The most important rule about garden design is to put the right plant in the right spot. Read the tags on the plant—they are full of useful information.
• I usually divide plants into four levels: 0–12″, 12–18″, 18–36,” and taller than 36.” Then, when planting, I use those ranges for various levels. 
• I also always plant in odds, not evens. Odd groupings are more pleasing to the eye and what seems to happen naturally in nature. Movement must happen in a garden to allow flow of the space as well as your eyes. 

Garden Maintenance: 

• Check on things on a regular basis. 
• Schedule what needs to be done: water, mulch, cut back, etc. (A sample schedule could be to water every four days, mulch once a year, and cut back twice a year. You can tweak this schedule based on what you discover are your garden’s particular needs.) 
• Know what the plants need and group plants with similar needs. For example, put drought tolerant plants with other drought tolerant plants, not water loving ones. 

My Favorite Low-Maintenance Plants

Full shade plants thrive in less than three hours of sun and no direct sun. Lots of plants can handle more or less sun than ideal. This is the fun part of gardening: see what works! My three favorite low-maintenance, full-shade plants are: 

• Tall garden Phlox
• Native Ginger
• Elderberry Bush

Partial shade plants (or partial sun plants—the terms are often used interchangeably) thrive in locations that receive the minimum requirement of sun. However, partial shade plants need relief from the heat. The partial shade plants I really like are: 

• Columine
• Monarda (or Beebalm)
• Goldenrod

Full sun plants thrive in six-plus hours of direct sun a day. My three favorite full sun plants are:

• Black eyed Susans
• Coneflowers
• Daisies

A 4-Season Garden in the Midwest: Is it Possible?

It is possible to have a four season garden in the Midwest! In the Midwest, we look for ornamental grasses that have seed heads that will stay through the winter or for bushes with berries on them. We also look for peeling bark or colored stems. As a bonus: the wildlife need all of these attributes to get through the winter.

Two Things to Keep in Mind

When it comes to gardening, there are two things I always tell people: 

1. Under watering is always better than over watering. Over watering cuts the oxygen off to the roots and plants will not come back from that. 
2. Plants are tough, do not be afraid. Don’t be afraid to rip the roots, or that you will plant it in the wrong spot. If it does not work in the spot, move it later. 

Last, But Not Least . . . Have Fun! 

Gardening can be very therapeutic, both emotionally and physically—enjoy it! It can also help save the bees,  be a bonding time between generations and friends, and a great source to environmental change.