Integrate and Interplant

It is the nature of disease organisms and pests to take the easiest route. What could be easier than moving down a row of your favorite host plants and attacking one after the other of them? Organic gardeners have known for generations a way to confound many pests, especially those that prefer one particular crop over others, and it doesn't cost a cent.

Interplanting mixing and mingling different species of plants in a garden bordereffectively confounds many types of pests. It slows the progression of diseases when the plant next to an infected one is not susceptible to the disease-causing organism. For pests, the turbulent scene of mixed textures, colors, and odors, jams their plant-seeking radar.

Feeding Plants on a Budget

The most common mistake gardeners make is thinking more is better. If a bag of fertilizer says to apply a cup for every 10 feet of row, then two cups must make plants really grow. That is not the case. Manufacturer's instructions are not arbitrary numbers that somebody guessed at. Manufacturers base their instructions on the ability of plant roots to absorb nutrients in a set amount of time. This rate varies with the type, age, and health of the plant, as well as the soil type and texture.

Tips on Planting Many Types of Plants

Garden Vegetables
This may sound a little obvious, but grow what you like to eat. No matter how good a crop you turn out, it's a waste of time and money if no one eats it. The second important consideration for a cost-effective plot is to grow only those crops which are cheaper to grow than buy. Why toil over a bed of spuds when you can buy 10 pounds for $1.59? Actually, there are a couple of sound exceptions to this rule. If your heart's desire is for a vegetable variety unavailable at the grocery store, grow your own. If you worry about an organic diet, grow your own. But if cost is a factor, leave the cheap vegetables to the truck farmers.

Herbs
Herbs are among the most trouble-free plants to grow, rarely bothered by pests or diseases. This is an endearing quality to the gardener who likes to save time and money. Most are attractive plants that add beauty to the landscape and many are exquisitely fragrant. They fit in anywhere; interplant into a border or grow in containers, a windowbox, or a pot on a sunny kitchen windowsill.

Look at some of the wonderful ways you can save money through the benefit of homegrown herbs. Grow gourmet cooking herbs such as Italian parsley or cilantro, that are often difficult to find in grocery stores. Common culinary herbs such as dill, oregano, sage, and tarragon transcend into gourmet delights when homegrown and just-picked fresh. Moreover, all herbs seem to taste better when you know you didn't have to pay the high prices they bring at the market. Grow mints, chamomile, and lemon balm, among others, to create your own soothing teas at a fraction the cost of store-bought. You can also dry herbs to use and enjoy all through the year, or to give as gifts.

Small Fruits
Berries and other small fruits add a touch of sweetness to the summer garden. While expensive in the supermarket, most small fruits are easy to grow.

Annual and Perennial Flowers
We appreciate flowers for their marvelous colors, textures and aromas. Annuals provide color all season, while gardeners wait patiently for perennial favorites. By blending the two types, you can create a lasting portrait in living color.

Turf and Ground Covers
Choices in ground covers have expanded wildly in the last few years. From play turf to low-maintenance 'Blue Carpet' juniper, there is something for every lifestyle and every pocketbook. As nice as a lawn is, consider the time and expense that goes into maintaining it, and alternatives become all the more attractive. Many tolerate drought much better than a lawn, which saves you money on watering. And most add visual interest to the landscape that turf can't touch. Those listed tend to spread readily to cover the area, another valuable characteristic.

Climbers and Vines
Climbers and vines add interest to spaces that might otherwise go bare. Use them to create a privacy screen or to obstruct an unpleasant view. Quick growing annuals are handy for a nearly instant solution to such landscape problems, while perennials provide long-term cover. Growing and training vines is easy. Direct seed or transplant annuals where you want them to grow, and provide a trellis or other support structure at planting time. Plant perennial vines as you would other perennials. The method differs somewhat for container plants and bare root plants.

Landscape Shrubs
The main reason for landscape shrubs is to provide visual interest in the yard or garden. Those that stand out remain attractive even after their main growing season. Shrubs also provide a haven for birds.

Shade and Landscape Trees
Few things in life are more rewarding than trees. They provide shade, privacy, and good company. Recommended types on the next page are low-maintenance, and offer at least two seasons of interest.

Why You Should Go Native

The plants best suited to your area are those nature put there. Check with your County Extension Service for ideas and sources. The trick to incorporating native plants is to get rid of any images of perfectly mowed grass surrounded by a neatly trimmed hedge. Wander out into the country and look at how nature arranges plants. A word of caution is necessary here. Not only is it bad manners to go out and lift plants from the wild, in many cases it is downright illegal. Check with your local Audubon Society Chapter or native plant society to determine whether a plant is endangered. Removing endangered plants from the wild is prohibited, and even collecting seeds from such plants may be restricted. In the case of others, you must have permission from a private property owner before digging up desirable natives. You can, however, make note of the plants you want, and gather seeds in the fall. Going native doesn't necessarily mean including only local plants in the landscape. Your hometown surely is unique, but there are other regions throughout the world with similar climateslatitude, altitude, and distance from large bodies of water. Plants from similar zones often grow equally as well in one as in another. For instance, Rugosa roses, native to the Far East, thrive in seaboard towns everywhere. Alpine plants from Switzerland flourish in rock gardens in Minnesota and Oregon. Cacti from Arizona prosper in any dry area. The idea is to use plants found in similar regions.

Going to Seed

The first step in seed-saving is to let your plants produce the seed. Choose the very best example of each type of plant as the parent for the next generation. Look for good color, fine flavor, superior size, texture, or yield, and disease or insect resistance. In short, choose plants with unique qualities that set them apart from the rest. Never collect seed from diseased plants, because some diseases are seed-borne. Growing conditions during seed development affect the quality of seeds, so take good care of the expectant plants.

To set seed, the plant must be pollinated. Some plants, such as beans, lettuce, peas, and tomatoes are self-pollinating, which means the flowers on the plant produce and accept their own pollen. Others require pollen from a second plant, delivered either by the breeze or the bees. This can complicate seed-saving when related plants cross-pollinate, thereby affecting the seed crop.

In the garden, usually only plants of the same species can cross-pollinate. If you grow several varieties of a species, cover selected plants, or individual flowers, to prevent cross-pollination. For wind-pollinated crops, such as beets, chard, corn, and spinach, use muslin or spun-bonded polypropylene to keep away the tiny grains of pollen. For insect-pollinated crops, such as broccoli, carrots, or squash, cheesecloth will keep the bugs away from the flowers.

Once you cover plants that are normally pollinated by insects, you become responsible for their pollination. They can be hand-pollinated by gently stroking flowers with a fine artist's paintbrush.

The process becomes simpler if you grow only one variety of each plant, or if you don't mind the effects of crossing two cultivars.

Often a cross between two types, say of tomatoes or carrots, doesn't result in any tremendous surprises. But let two cultivars of the species Cucurbita pepopumpkins, zucchini, scallop, crooknecks, acorn squash, spaghetti squash, and some gourdsmingle, and you could find some real oddballs in next year's pumpkin patch.

Creating space for entertainment

A popular trend these days is outdoor rooms or outdoor living, and it’s easy to see why. When good weather comes, who can resist hanging out or dining in the fresh air?

Patio gardens, decks, and terraces adjacent to the house (front, side, or back) continue to be popular because you and your guests have easy access to the house. People can easily pop inside for additional food, drink, or supplies; to use the restroom; or to dispose of trash. Screened-in spots may be necessary if you have a mosquito or other bug problem and still want to be comfortable outside.

If you want to place the focal point farther from the house, such as at a gazebo or under a pergola or in a poolside entertaining area, make sure it’s well-stocked with beverages and snacks to spare yourself long treks back and forth to the house. Outdoor storage units and shelves should do the trick. We’ve witnessed a recent boom in outdoor furniture options — styles as well as materials. From rust-resistant tables, chairs, and benches, to mildew resistant cushions in bright colors, to handsome but practical umbrellas, you can have a set that looks great even when left out in the sun and rain. Just feast your eyes on the choices at your local home-supply store, big-box retail store, or mail-order gardening supplier.

The outdoor lifestyle has never offered so many excellent and attractive choices. Choose stuff that meets your needs, is durable, and has style and color that match or enhance or set the tone for the surrounding garden. (You may also invest in attractive, fitted covers for everything to protect items from the elements when not in use.) Outdoor entertainment areas ought to connect to the garden so that although people are enjoying indoor-style comforts and amenities, people are still able to savor the unique joys of being outside. You can incorporate potted plants (both colorful flowers and practical herbs or veggies), set out vases of flowers cut from the garden, add hanging baskets, and plant right up to the perimeters.

To create a transition from the outdoor entertainment area and the garden proper (and thus gracefully blend them), repeat elements in both places — use the same or similar plants, or incorporate the same or complementary colors (complementary colors — red and green, blue and orange, and purple and yellow — are across from each other on the color wheel). Add flair and beauty to your outdoor entertaining area with wind chimes, candles, citronella torches, lanterns, or windsocks. Whatever you decide to set up, remember to imagine and then accommodate foot traffic — people will wear a path anyway, so plan for it.

Establishing a good garden for pets

Contrary to popular belief, pets and gardens are compatible. All you need is some creativity to accommodate both of them. However, because the animal is part of your life, you have to consider meeting his or her needs a given when setting out to lay out your yard and garden. Your biggest concern may be where your pets “do their business.” Dog and cat urine can create brown spots in lawns (because it’s too high in nitrogen), especially when the pet is a creature of habit and returns to the same spot over and over again. Just water the area to dilute, and the problem should go away.

Dusting the area with gypsum can also help. Either bury or scoop pet poop — your decision. Just never add this waste to a compost pile or spot where edible plants are growing, because cats and dogs aren’t vegetarians, and meat waste products don’t belong there. Pet feces can contain harmful bacteria, parasites, or other disease-causing organisms.
Dogs seem to have two basic outdoor needs:

• Water to drink: Place a large bowl of fresh water in a spot where your dog can get direct access to it without trampling through valued plants and where no humans will step on it. Replenish the water often, as it may collect debris, dry up, or get too warm if in the sun.
• Shade to rest in: Your dog may have his or her own ideas about which shrubs or trees to rest under, but you can influence your pooch’s decision by trimming away lower branches so scooting into the spot is easier. You can also create and fill in a “sand beach” area, which also allows unfettered and non-destructive digging, if your pooch is a digging sort. If you want to have a fenced-in “dog run” area, make sure it has sheltering shade throughout the day in some part and that the run is in a spot where you can see and/or hear your pet (so you don’t forget about your four-legged friend!). Dogs don’t like to “do their business” in the same place where they rest or play, so the run needs to big enough to allow for both activities.

Outdoor cats need clean, cool water, too, and they also like the sanctuary of a safe, shady spot where they can observe undetected or undisturbed. Watch where they go and improve it for them if you can with extra protection (like their own small, simple cat house) and more space. Note: The sand beach idea is not for cats; they’ll think it’s an outdoor litter box! Sometimes cats use tree trunks as scratching posts; little trees can’t tolerate this abuse of their outer bark, so rig a collar of tape or wire to prevent the damage.

If you do bring pet birds in cages outside, do so only temporarily — birds tend to be sensitive to cold nights, wind, or hot sun. Make sure they have plenty of water. And don’t leave caged birds outdoors unattended. Vermin are sometimes attracted to the feed in their cages, and curious wild birds that can pass on diseases often visit.

If you have pets, be careful about the gardening products you use and where you store them. Plan to keep the critters indoors after fertilizing or spraying until the packaging says it’s safe. You may also want to consider what you choose to grow and where you plant it: If animals eat a plant that doesn’t agree with them, up it comes — on your living room floor! In some cases, a trip to the vet may be in order.

Visit the Animal Poison Control Center Web site at
www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=pro_apcc ,for more information.

Gardening with the kids in mind

If you have young children of your own, or if kids are always visiting, plan for them and their antics. A flower border of precious perennials, some of them delicately supported by stakes, will be in constant danger of being trampled if kids ride bikes or play rousing games of soccer nearby. Although placing your raised-bed vegetable garden right in the center of a sunny lawn may be logical, figure out whether the kids’ fun and games work can around it or whether the kids will be running through it.

As parents everywhere know, the key to lowering your frustration level is being flexible. Site the perennials way at the back of the lawn area if you must; shield flowers with a fence or picnic table or living barrier, such as a line of shrubs or berry bushes; locate that vegetable garden more off to the side; and so on. You get the idea.

With kids’ short attention spans and wish for quick gratification, it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to get the children to help you dig up a new planting area, nor would it be safe or advisable to have them help with pruning projects.
But you have plenty of other ways to build your kids’ interest in gardening:

• Raise some easy-to-grow plants for kids. Favorites include green beans (pole beans, on a teepee, so kids can have a fort inside), nasturtiums, morning glories, mini pumpkins, and sunflowers.
• Plant things kids love to harvest, whether vegetables or flowers for bouquets. Just make sure you supervise children, especially if they’re using clippers or scissors.
• Encourage help by putting money in the till. Don’t forget the time honored tradition of paying your budding entrepreneurs for pulling weeds — though the going rate is probably no longer a penny a dandelion!

Getting Ideas for Your Garden Space

After you take inventory of your garden space and yard in general, consider what sort of garden you want. Before you get bogged down in choosing plants and deciding where to plant them, think in broad terms once again. How do you want to use your garden? What are your needs and expectations? Naming your goals can help you further clarify the details of your plans. If I had one single, strong piece of advice to give you at this point — and I do! —it would be this: Be realistic. Identify, admit, and allow for special uses and considerations. Working within an honest, clear-eyed framework is so much easier.
A beautiful garden can grow up around your “givens.”

Taking advantage of your yard’s assets

Every garden space has its strengths and its good spots, if only you look, and some of the “problems” I mention in earlier sections can actually be benefits if you see them that way. You can save yourself a lot of time, effort, and grief by identifying these types of spots and working with what you have rather than knocking yourself out to impose an ambitious plan upon your garden space. Go with the flow, in other words! Here are a few examples of conditions you may find within your garden space and how to handle them:

• Sunny days: Bright sunshine is beloved by many plants, especially those with colorful flowers. Rejoice and be glad you have it; then go shopping for a wide range of bright and lively plants. Have fun with color combinations. Full sun also affords you the opportunity to grow many vegetables, herbs, fruits, and waterlilies. See the chapters ahead for details on choosing and growing the types that interest you.
• The dark side: If your lot in life is shade, don’t fret. Consider it a gift, a chance to create a cool, soothing, even enchanting oasis. Without direct blasts from the hot sun, plants in a shady area look fresher and crisper for far longer. Wilting and withering in the heat aren’t issues, colors don’t get washed out, and not only do flowers last longer, but they also add sparkle and definition.
  
• Dry conditions: Instead of knocking yourself out trying to provide water for thirsty plants, seek out ones that prosper in drier growing conditions. A nursery that offers native plants (and good-looking cultivars of the same) is a good place to start. You don’t have to grow only cacti and succulents, though you should check out the amazingly wide range of colors and shapes before you decide not to; lots of exciting dry-ground, drought-tolerant plants are available to gardeners these days.
• Water: If your yard’s soggy or boggy, stop neglecting the area to weeds or trying to dry it out. Instead, grow plants that relish damp ground. Loads of good-looking choices — large and small, tall and ground-covering, flowering and foliage — are available. Try red twig dogwood, red maples, skunk cabbage, or Japanese primroses.

Soil quality and weeds

The soil isn’t the type or quality you want?
More often than you may think, poor soil thwarts gardening plans. People just forget or underestimate the importance of having organically rich, welldraining ground to plant in. To tackle this problem, try growing only those types of plants proven to work in your soil. See what the neighbors are growing in their gardens, or check with the local nursery for the best plants to grow in your area. You can also dig into the soil and mix in the materials you want (sort of like making cake batter, only more work). A rototiller is a handy tool to use for this purpose. Remember to work down to a depth of 6 to 8 inches for most garden plants — less for shallow-rooted grass, more for trees and shrubs.

Too many weeds?
You can attack these unwelcome plants any time of the year, but you’ll make faster progress if you start in late fall or early spring and thwart them before or just as they’re sprouting. Use a hoe, smother weeds with plastic or mulch, or carefully use an herbicide (or some combination of these tactics). Then, in midsummer, make sure you don’t let weeds go to seed. Pull them, mow them down, and discard them outside your garden to keep them from coming back.

Reclaiming the good garden hiding in your yard

Improving on what you already have in your yard is a quick and easy way to start enjoying a good garden. Timing is often key; that is, make your move at the right time and the project will be less work and will yield faster results. If the project seems overwhelming, by all means, find or hire help.

To improve a flowerbed, rake out all debris, remove all weeds, and add soil amendments in late fall or early spring. Plan what will go in, and remember to avoid overcrowding and to allow for each plant’s mature size. Last but not least, mulch the bed to retain moisture and thwart weeds so the bed will hopefully never get out of hand again.

You can reclaim a vegetable garden, even if it’s full of weeds — chances are that the garden still has fairly good soil. Get weeds and debris out of there in fall or early spring, repair or install edging and/or fencing, and then dig in some organic matter for good measure (this step’s easier now, before you add plants). Then cover the entire area with black plastic or a thick layer of mulch until you’re ready to plant to keep out digging critters and thwart a resurgence of weeds.

What to do if your yard is too small?

A small yard can seem bigger, more welcoming, and a lot more charming when you employ a few basic gardening techniques. With these methods, you can transform your cozy little yard into the garden of your dreams:

-Soften the edges of your lawn so they don’t seem so imposing. If you
have a fence, you can
* Paint the fence a bright color (dark colors heighten the sense of constriction).
* Add lush vines or climbing roses.
* Adorn the fence with potted plants.

- Create a varied layering effect — that is, position different plant types and textures above and behind one another, stepping up to the edges of your yard. Some gardeners literally display a combination of in-ground and potted plants on and around a rack or stepladder.

- Add a focal point — a statue, a small fountain, or one spectacular pot or urn with a big, dramatic plant or showy combination of plants; this move draws attention away from the close boundaries.

What to do if your yard is too big?

Here are three good ways to reduce that maintenance-demanding, waterhogging lawn and create ideal spaces for gardening:

- Create garden beds around the sides of the yard, widening or extending them as you can. Alternatively, create what landscapers call island beds, which are flat or mounded beds (in any shape and size you like) in the middle of a lawn.

- Add large, sprawling structures that take up a lot of yard space, such as
* Pathways
* A terrace, patio, or deck
* A pool (swimming or ornamental)
* A potting shed or gazebo. Adding garden beds around these structures really spruces things up.

- Fence in or otherwise enclose individual “garden rooms” within spaces around your yard. The fence can be an artificial fence made of wood or metal, or it can be made of hedges, ornamental grasses, or trellises overhung with vines. Use your imagination!

What to do if you got too few shade?

If your garden space is sunnier than you’d like, the quick solution is to add human-made items — try an umbrella or two, a pergola (arbor), or an outdoor tent. For the long term, you can make a planting plan with shade trees and vines that cover trellises and other structures.

What to do if got too much shade?

A yard or garden space with a lot of shade is often lamented as forcing too many limitations on gardeners. Never fear! This problem is often much easier to remedy than you may think, usually just by pruning some trees and bushes:

1. Go out with clippers and/or a small pruning saw to remove all “nonnegotiable” branches and twigs — anything obviously dead or diseased, particularly the lower branches of thick trees.
2. Go on to thinning — taking out growth that’s rubbing against other branches or crowding the interior of a plant.
3. For anything you can’t handle, call in a certified arborist or a tree company.

You need the services of a tree company if you decide to take out an entire tree. Check with local authorities; in some areas you need permission to cut down trees. In the end? More sun, more light, and more air —a whole new yard!

If a more permanent structure, such as a house or fence, causes your shade problem, you may still have more planting options available than you think.

Regardless of whether bushes and shrubs are a shade problem, you should prune them to remove some or all the offending thicket to keep your garden (and yard in general) looking good. Try an early-spring pruning foray. (This is also the time to do drastic chopping back, say, if you want to reduce a hedge’s height; cut no more than one-third at a time — you can prune again next season.)

Evaluation of your surrounding

Observation! That’s the very first step. Forget for a moment what’s growing in your neighbors’ yards or other home landscapes around town that you see and may covet. It’s time to take a broader view — it’s all part of the assessing process, a process that can lead you to a gorgeous, successful garden of your own. And don’t forget that the garden is part of your yard in general. If you incorporate your garden plans into an overall plan for your yard, the yard itself can become a beautiful extension of the garden. Identifying and spending some time analyzing what you already have is an important step in planning. After all, every yard is different and therefore presents a gardening challenge. You may be surprised, as you ponder, to discover that you can work quite well with what you already have, making seemingly minor changes to major effect.
Start by looking at the big picture. Here are the basic things to look for that affect your overall gardening plans. The following issues directly influence your planting decisions:

• Local climate: Over the course of a calendar year, is your area’s climate dry or damp? Generally sunny or generally rainy? Do your winters (or summers) slow everything down or bring plant growth to a temporary halt? The answers to these questions can tell you which plants are likely to grow easily and which ones may require some extra help.
• Type of soil in your yard: Consider the natural soil in your area. Is it rather sandy? Clay? Loamy (rich, crumbly, and dark)? Acidic? Alkaline? Does it drain rainwater away quickly, or does moisture puddle and linger for days? The answers can help you understand which plants will thrive and which ones will need soil improvements.
• Plants native to your area (or already growing in your yard): I’m not asking that you make a garden out of entirely native plants — after all, you may want to distinguish your yard from the surrounding natural landscape. But finding out which plants (trees, shrubs, grasses, flowers) are native or perform well in your general area, either by observing or by asking around, can further fill you in on what kind of growing conditions you’ve been dealt. When looking at plants, make sure you don’t choose invasive exotics, which are aggressive nonnative plants that can escape your yard and run rampant. Your state may also find some native plants harmful. For information and details on what to watch out for, visit plants.usda. gov/java/noxiousDriver and here are some structural considerations for your garden:
• Permanence of big structures: Okay, the house stays. The garage and shed, too, although maybe you can move or replace the shed. What about shade trees? Can and should you cut any of them down, or at least prune them? Big branches may be a hazard, and letting more light into a garden is often welcome.
• Walkways: It’s hard, but not impossible, to change the path of foot traffic if it’s currently in the way of your garden space. So take a hard look and be honest. If you add or replace a walking surface, the yard can look immediately nicer and your garden spot may be neatly outlined. Planting options for installing a path include gravel, brick, flagstone, and other paving materials. Wandering paths look nicer and slow down footsteps, but pathways should actually lead somewhere if you want people to use them. Wider paths also slow people down and encourage them to enjoy their surroundings — your beautiful garden.
• Desire for privacy or shelter: Good fences can make good neighbors, and materials make all the difference. Big, substantial wooden fences do block street noise and unsightly views but may also create shade and look unfriendly. A lighter or more open design may be better, perhaps softened with a flowering, climbing plant. An alternative is living fences of hedges or an informal line of bushes . Work with what you have to improve your fence’s look, or vow to install or replace it with something nicer.

Before making any major changes, consult with neighbors who’ll be affected, especially if you have a neighborhood association that governs big yard projects.
After evaluating these items and the impact they’ll have on your future garden, you may find that you have the start of a good plan for forming the boundaries and overall design of your garden.
Don’t be intimidated by the beautifully designed and laid-out yards you see in your neighborhood or admire in the pages of gardening magazines or books. Transforming and beautifying your yard yourself, while bringing in outside help only if you think you need it, is perfectly possible. Like any other large project, you’ll get further and feel better if you divide it into smaller parts