Keep Your Friends Close
We're always making decisions in the garden: plant this
over by the fence or in front of the tree; put that by the patio or
in the glazed pot.
Many years ago a philosopher named Danny Hillis
proposed making a clock which would run, almost maintenance-free, for
10,000 years. He called it the “Clock of the Long Now.” One of
his intentions was to develop long-term thinking in people, rather
than their normal focus on the next few minutes or, if you're in
finance, the next quarter. As I understand it, the clock is being
built though, in keeping with its concept, it will be a long time
before it is finished.
Have you thought about the difference between planting
for “now” and planting for “later”? I know several gardeners
who have.
A couple of them have planted their azaleas far apart
with the idea that they will look great in 5 or 10 years. Neither of
them were pre-retirement when we talked and one said that he expected
to live to 100. The good news is the gardeners are still doing well,
as I write this, and the plants have indeed covered up a large
portion of the mulch around them. Congrats to them!
One of the above gardeners keeps his individual plants
in large, 55 gallon drums. These are too big to move and not too
close to each other, but the tops have started growing
together and, from a little distance, they look fine. An interesting
side note on those drums: they have drain holes on the sides
near the bottom. The roots of his oak trees will not grow up into the
drum and compete for resources.
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| This bed of early blooming azaleas, shown from May 4, 2018, demonstrates my idea that mulch should be used, but rarely seen. |
I don't like to look at a bed and see a pile of mulch
with a few plants, whose lives are all promise. A bed of plants, with
maybe a little mulch showing through, is preferable. My view is that
I am planning for now and later. It's true that this requires
more work, but spread out over a period of years, it isn't really
stressful. Azaleas should be planted relatively close together, and
when they become closer than you wish, simply dig them up and move
them apart, or move them elsewhere, or eat them. Your choice. [You
know that's a joke, right? Right? Please don't name me in a
wrongful death suit.]
Many azaleas look fine with their branches mixed
through their neighbors, so they don't have to be moved the instant a
branch touches the next plant. Azaleas, ferns, heucheras and hosta
are relatively shallow rooted and can be transplanted easily. It
takes occasional attention, but your garden can always be ready for
the show!
