Are you a planner? I read a lot of gardening articles about people who have a “ten-year plan” for their gardens. I have trouble planning what I’m going to do this year, let alone ten years from now. I find it admirable, but I’m totally uninterested in gardening within that kind of framework. I do plan for the next week, and I often have a hazy plan in the back of my mind (sometimes for years) for major work like my garden wall, but as for writing things down and/or designing things on paper, I’m hopeless.
I’ve often questioned my way of working, because some gardening tasks are better planned out ahead of time, according to the experts. For instance, when transplanting some bushes, such as roses, digging down around the plant a couple of weeks ahead is supposed to be good for it, because it gets the roots started on a growth spurt that will make them accept the new site better. I know this theoretically, but I’ve never tried it that way. Normally, I walk out to the backyard, glance around to see what appeals to me, decide that a plant would thrive much better over there, and start digging. I don’t remember having many significant failures working my way, which is why I haven’t disciplined myself to work any other. I tend to think twice or three times before I transplant rose bushes though, since it’s a big, arduous job. Most ordinary plants aren’t quite so fussy, so planning ahead isn’t necessary. It’s important to note, however, that transplanting is best done in cooler weather, like spring or fall. Heat stresses out most plants and they can fail for lack of water more easily in mid-summer. To that extent, I plan; I plan not to work really hard in the garden during the hottest months of the year!
After a couple of days of summer-like heat, we’re back to spring temperatures, but the sun is shining and it’s wonderful out in the Tranquil Garden. On the subject of transplanting, I divided some hostas, bachelor’s buttons and perennial geranium and planted them out front. Many plants will be needed to fill in where I smothered the front lawn last year. If I don’t want to go broke, I have to take advantage of the enthusiasm of some of the perennials in my backyard. I have one very generous ‘single’ rose that makes babies (that doesn’t sound quite right does it??) every year and I’m thinking of digging a couple of them up to fill in some gaps. That’s how I acquired the “mother” plant, from my sister’s generous rose. It’s not a very glamourous rose, but it has interesting purplish-grey foliage and very pretty “single”* flowers.
If you’re needing to transplant a rose bush, here’s what seems to be a good description. It doesn’t mention digging down two weeks ahead, I’m glad to note!
Hope you’re enjoying this wonderful gardening weather as much as I am. It’s such bliss after the long, cold winter and early spring we’ve had.
*Editor’s note: “single” blooms are the type with only a single ring of petals around the centre.
Here’s one of my favourite songwriters, Ron Sexsmith, singing his song, “Believe it when I See it” (kind of how we felt about spring coming this year!).
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