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Saturday, July 05, 2008 • 05:58 am |
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Welcome to a new gardening season and a brand new column on OttawaStart.
The skeptics among you may think, “What could they possibly add to the already extensive list of books, web pages and TV-shows on gardening?” The answer is simple. Rather than offering general basic techniques, this column will address the specific needs of the Ottawa Valley, with all of its own particular weather and geographical demands.
Starting at the beginning
Simply put, plants will die without sunlight. Sunlight is the “fuel” that plants need to enable them to grow, via a process called photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is nothing more than the conversion of unusable sunlight energy into usable chemical energy. This process also uses water and releases oxygen. Water is sucked from the soil by the roots of the plant, is drawn up the stems and lost, along with oxygen, through thy leaves. This is why we must water plants during dry spells. The amount of light your garden receives depends on its cardinal direction. Obviously, a garden with a southern exposure will get more sunlight than one that is north-facing. The amount of available sunlight in a garden has a huge impact on plant choice. A Hosta will not be particularly happy in a south-facing garden, and attempts to grow Roses in a north-facing garden are likely to fail. As a rule of thumb – although there are exceptions – leafy plants (plants with large leaf surfaces, such as Hosta, Ligularia and Fern) will be happier in shady conditions, simply because they lose a lot of water through their leaves. Leaves on this type of plant will hang limp from the stems during hot sunny days, and will not recover until the sun goes down or it starts to rain. Conversely, plants with silver or silvery-grey foliage (Dusty Miller, Artemisia) and plants with tough, leathery foliage (Sedum) will perform much better in dry sunny conditions than in shade. The grey appearance is nothing more than green foliage covered by very fine hairs. These hairs help with drought resistance by reducing the moisture lost through transpiration, and as well, the light colour helps to reflect the heat and keep the plant cool. This is exactly what we humans try to do by wearing light-coloured summer clothes. Sedum does not have fine hairs to protect it from the sun, but this species has the ability to store moisture in its roots and leaves and draws on these reserves during dry spells. Next week we will get into the different aspects of soil types and how they help determine your plant choice.
If you have not been able to do it yet, now is a good time to clean up your borders. Cut off dead leaves, pull out weeds, dig in some compost or manure, and as well, add mulch. Mulch will help to keep moisture in the soil during hot summer days. Compost and manure will slowly decompose and help to keep your soil healthy and vital. Remember, the best way to look after your plants is to look after your soil! Lift, divide and transplant herbaceous perennials. Prune rose bushes, hedges and late-flowering shrubs. Let the early-flowering varieties “do their thing”, or you’ll be cutting away all of those lovely spring blooms!
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May
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