How to quench a garden’s thirst
Most gardening problems we hear about relate to overwatering. It seems we’re better at killing our plants with kindness rather than by ignoring them.
As the second half of our gardening season now gets underway, we recommend you give some thought to water. Think about it in terms of the heat and drought this summer has brought us.
And here’s something else to think about: using a few basic principles, you can enjoy a fabulous garden while minimizing the use of water and the time spent watering. Use a rain barrel. An old story, but a good one. Place a rain barrel at the bottom of a downspout and collect the warm, oxygen-rich water that falls from the sky.
Plants perform better when watered with it — and it is free. Two good reasons to give this a go.
When there is no rain and your barrels are empty, fill them from your garden hose. Let the water warm with the summer temperatures. Plants prefer it. Eliminate hard surfaces. Toronto has a Mandatory Downspout Disconnection program and it’s to help divert residential water run-off into to your lawn and garden, and away from the city’s storm sewers. (If you don’t do it, you risk a fine.)
Help your property absorb the water that pours out of your downspout by removing asphalt or cement pavers. Replace them with permeable pavers, gravel or plants. Lowgrowing plants that will withstand some foot traffic include creeping thyme (flowers/has a nice scent), Irish moss (looks great) and creeping oregano (you might have to discourage the chef in the house from over-foraging).
A lawn is still the most sophisticated living ground cover out there. You will need a minimum of six hours of daily sunshine to grow a good lawn. During a drought, it will become brown and even a bit crispy. Do not worry about this. The best time of year to sow grass seed arrives in a couple of weeks. More in a later column. Build a green roof. Green roofs absorb enormous amounts of water, cool the area beneath, and divert heavy rain away from the stormwater sewers.
Mark built green roofs on two of the sheds on his property — and if he can do it, anyone can. Place a water barrier between the planting and the soil and make sure that the structure is built to withstand the weight of wet soil.
Then plant it up with sempervivums and sedums. In a year or two they’ll take all the heat and drought nature throws at them. They flower, too, in early- to midsummer. Plant for drought and heat. The plants that we choose have a lasting impact on the water that we use to sustain them. Look for perennial plants that put down a drought-resistant root.
Some of our favourites: Shade
Hostas grow well in dry shade. They flower annually, attracting hummingbirds and their growth ranges from a mere 6 centimetres across to a full metre in breadth and height.
Sweet woodruff rises early in spring and produces attractive white flowers.
Pachysandra. Evergreen, hardy to zone 5 (Guelph). Attractive and easy to grow. Matures at about 20 to 25 cm. Glossy green leaves. Indestructible even if you have a dog, but not one that digs. Sun
Ornamental grasses, of which there are dozens, if not hundreds, to choose from. They grow slowly in spring but take off in the heat of summer. All ornamental grasses tolerate heat and drought once established.
Echinacea and black-eyed Susan. Two of the most popular native flowers for good reason. Pollinators love them, and they’re long-flowering from late June to fall.
Peonies are spectacular June flowers that have attractive foliage for the balance of the season.
Sedums and sempervivums can take it, as mentioned above in the green roof idea.