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The Deep Middle


Gardening & writing in the prairie echo

Un-Messify Your Garden

8/7/2018

18 Comments

 
Do you get notices from county weed control or dirty looks from neighbors -- or your spouse? Why does your garden look messy, wild, haphazard, or even incoherent? Do you want to give up and revert to hosta, daylily or -- gasp -- lawn? I think the number one reason a landscape may appear messy is plant selection and placement that's well-intentioned but not well researched. Let me break it down for you like Vanilla Ice:

1) Mature Size
Yeah, we all look at the plant tag and hopefully consult several reputable print and online sources, but mistakes happen either through impatience (I want a big plant now so I'll buy the bigger pot) or bad evidence (plant tags might list the mature size at 10 years old and in a different region with different site conditions -- but what does it look like at 20 years in your city in your yard?).

And then what if you choose an adaptable plant, one that can take dry / wet / shady / sunny? It will absolutely grow differently in one set of circumstances even if it does fine in another... several sedge species come to mind that are bigger and bushier in wet sun and loamy soil, yet thinner and short in dry conditions. Trees certainly do this, too. And that all makes sense, right? Flowering plants tend to bloom more with additional sun; even if it's a shade plant more ambient light or a brief period of direct light will alter that plant's growth characteristics.

There are lots of native plant species with large ranges across the U.S. -- little bluestem and black-eyed susan for example. But Nebraska is different than Pennsylvania or Oregon or Georgia, which is why there are genetic differences in local plant populations that help them evolve to do well in that place. Keep in mind, that place isn't just geographical, but site specific from soil to drainage to wind to rainfall to herbivore use.
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2) Reproduction
How many times do you really, REALLY think about how or if that new plant is going to spread or not? Will it self sow like crazy or lightly? If it self sows do seedlings struggle in a thick bed with lush plant layers? How fast do seeds germinate? Or does it spread by runners, and if so, will it spread a lot slower in clay (dry or moist) than in loam or silt? Will it spread just in its immediate area or will you have 100 new children in a year all over the neighborhood?

Maybe you need to use less of one plant and more of another, depending on how they spread. Less black-eyed susan and little bluestem, more butterfly weed and rattlesnake master. If this feels complicated that's because IT IS, but the first step to uncomplicated plant decisions is to learn what to look for, and we're doing that right now.

3) Community
So you've got an aggressive plant that sends out runners -- if it's planted among other species that also run, will they all keep each other in check? Maybe. But unless you have a large area to plant I wouldn't risk the experiment. It's better, especially in smaller urban gardens, to choose plants that are more behaved clumpers or that lightly self sow nearby, as seedlings are easy to remove. Having a collection of behaved clumpers helps you maintain a "clean" or "designed" appearance for longer, as things aren't getting too out of control that you can't stay on top of it.

I mentioned two more behaved native plants above, but others can work too: prairie alumroot, pale purple coneflower, blazingstars (if in a thick bed), aromatic aster, and definitely not giant blue hyssop / anise hyssop. Nope.

Once you decide on using all or mostly clumping plants, the next step is to consider their mature size in your site conditions. Choosing a majority of plants with similar heights at least can give your garden the appearance of tidiness many look for when walking by and judging you (sarcasm -- sort of). It's ok if they spread out a little and fill in, heck, you want that so the ground is covered which helps in fighting weeds and reducing the need for wood mulch. Maybe you include a few species that shoot up twice the height of the majority around them just to add some architectural flare. If you are planting in clay soil it's more likely your native prairie plants are adapted to do well in such "harsh" soil, whereas if you put them in rich loam tilled to death they might grow gangly with a short lifespan. Nothing helps keep an aggressive plant in check like clay soil and a lack of rain.
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4) Edit / Kill Your Darlings
Some call this "management" or "maintenance," some "murder." In this case murder is totally cool. Rip out seedlings if there are too many. Take out a few specimens if they are overwhelming the space. Do you really need 15 of that one flower or will 5 look more put together and still provide a beacon for pollinators? The balance between aesthetic design for humans and ecological design for the site and wildlife can be tricky and precarious, but we still have to strive for it in highly populated urban areas where human and animal cultures mingle. Just remember that no matter how much editing you perform, you're still doing well by nature when you have designed and managed wildness using native plants.

5) Copy Nature
Finally, visit a local "wild" area near you that approximates your landscape and site conditions, whether that's a prairie, woodland, desert, or lakeside. Let your eye wander over the space until it settles and focuses in on a particular vista or area. Is the space "weedy" and "messy?" What provides coherence that makes you find it pleasing, comforting, exciting, welcoming? What plants are used, how are they grouped, what plant communities are they a part of it, how are they layered among each other? This will begin to give you some clue about how plants work together, what wildlife will recognize and use, and how to tap into nature's design while perhaps bumping it up a notch in a man-made ornamental landscape (for example, that meadow might have just a few butterfly weed among sideoats grama, but maybe in your landscape you could double the flower number).

Next time you plan a new garden bed make sure to do your diligent research -- it will save you time, headache, and some maintenance issues. And hey, hiring an expert to help you doesn't hurt either, and might even save you money and stress over time.
18 Comments
Wayne Rhodus
8/19/2018 09:05:14 am

This article touches on exactly the problem I struggle with in my most recent native garden. In only its second growing season the plantings are certainly filling in the 120' long by 7.5' wide space. But even with some judicious "killing" this spring and early summer, it still looks messy.

I avoid mulch altogether, which has opened the door to weeds taking a foothold (I prepared the space with solarization initially). I did create a design plan for the space and chose plants that give me season long color, generally uniform height and adapted to do well in the rich, well drained soil in full sun.

Maybe I'm just in a hurry for this garden to achieve the manicured, organized look I want since it's planted in my front yard. With time and effort on my part I hope it will.

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Benjamin
9/6/2018 09:05:32 am

Sounds like you did it right, Wayne. Patience now -- years and years of it! :)

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topresume free review link
10/7/2018 07:14:30 pm

I think the most beautiful gardens are those that come with a flaw. Nothing can give those a more natural appeal. Just because it has insects and weeds, it does not necessarily mean that what you have in front of you belongs to the ugly herd. You just need to clean it a little. I will still choose a natural looking man made look than go for those with very sharp curves and angles. A landscape artist once showed me how to make a real natural looking rock formation. He just let the rocks fall and that was it. He did not change anything. It was really beautiful.

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10/18/2018 04:53:53 pm

My garden looks like a mess. It's not always like this. The stoneworks used to be so beautiful. There's just the right plants for everything. I feel the fishes in the man made pond are happy too for the time being. Then one day we had tenants who felt they could feed the fishes just about anything and they started throwing all their garbage and left over food in the pond. It was really depressing. I am not the type who will always nag people about cleanliness especially if they are nice to me. It's a really difficult scenario and I was not able to stop it.

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best assignment writer uk link
7/28/2019 09:31:30 am

I hate the world placid. Somebody said "classic" and yet I still hear the word "placid". It reminds me of that one time when someone whom I expect to stay by my side all through out, chose another human instead. I wish I just left when I still have a chance. Everyday, I think about how much I hated being the last priority. This person kept pretending I am important in his life but all he had been doing is trying to keep me like a trophy. He never really listens to what I have to say. All he is thinking is himself.

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Todd
7/26/2022 09:44:50 am

I highly recommend checking out Roy Diblik and the management methods he teaches. I manage 3000 sf of native gardens using my trusty Dutch push hoe with minimal effort.

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LT
9/1/2018 06:33:15 am

Great tips. Editing is not my strength, but I am working on it. I have let many things seed in where they want to grow, but there are a few plants that get a little too vigorous, so I make sure to cut off most of their seed heads (Boneset and Spiderwort, I'm looking at you two beautiful thugs). I'm learning as I go. Debating about cutting down some of my Susans this year too. The evolution of a native garden is part of the joy too.

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Benjamin
9/6/2018 09:07:01 am

I use very few susans in designs anymore, and if I do, I make sure it's a thickly layered garden so they don't take over. Still, in time as the garden matures and other plants fill in, susans fade (which is good and bad). But in a new garden planting them sparingly is key to not having an all-susan garden (and removing seed heads now is a smart idea).

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David Cristiani link
9/6/2018 08:46:09 am

Good article, and it's great to see your consulting practice moving forward. Your pointing to the need to edit and keep some patterns in place make sense, and I see that all the time in the broader processes in the natural world.

Of course there's less growth in the Las Cruces desert than in the Nebraska prairie, but the idea is similar. One has to be willing to edit, cuing from nature where there aren't the same types of disturbance that often contributes to over-growth.

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Benjamin link
9/6/2018 09:04:56 am

So good to hear from you, David! Yes, consulting has turned into design and lots of national speaking. I'll be in ABQ keynoting in late February and am excited to see some of the landscape.

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rushessay reviews link
9/15/2018 08:35:54 pm

I would consider this as an informative blog for beginners just like me. I love seeing plants and flowers as well, but I do not know how to take good care of them. It also consists a high maintenance care for a plant that makes a hard time for me because I also have my job. I cannot take good care of them well and I have this long weekend vacation ahead so it would be the best time to re-fix and beautify them.

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Linda D Wurm link
9/27/2020 08:38:56 am

It is an annual adventure of discovery finding what "new " plants the wind and birds have brought to my acre really wild garden! It is an 1+ acre clear cut in the pine woods of western Maine. I did help with some Canada Lily seed pods and some lupine seeds. Good on the lily, mistake with the lupine! But birds have gifted cardinal flower, blazing star, and nodding lady tresses

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Irene
1/23/2021 11:23:43 am

I am trying to re wild a very manicured garden in my new house. The neighborhood is classic all lawn and regularly shaped bushes. I will do my best not to bother my neighbors but wildlife is my priority.
Will take tips from here to do it my way but not clash

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Ramsay Harik link
2/6/2021 05:45:27 pm

A very reliable way to keep tall-ish plants tidy is to shear them once or twice, starting in late spring. This causes them to fill out and become more compact, less floppy, and more floriferous, even if it leads to later blooms. It works on a lot of species, including monarda and joepye. Benjamin, I'd be interested in your take on this.

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Benjamin
2/6/2021 06:16:15 pm

Sounds like more (and unnecessary) work -- as in the wrong plant was used in that space. I rarely need to chop something in half come July, and I wouldn't want to have to remember to do so every year. ;)

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Lisa Wolfe
9/13/2022 09:23:11 pm

I use this method too Ramsay, and it is recommended by other Native Plant experts e.g. Pat Sutton. Besides getting fuller plants, you can lengthen their bloom time- you can cut back some of the stalks of a plant, but not all of them. Also, it's good to cut milkweed back at different times, so that monarchs will have fresh growth to oviposit on.

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Ramsay Harik link
9/14/2022 03:29:04 pm

That's a great idea re milkweed, Lisa. My view is that nature can be as floppy as it wants, but my native beds are gardens as well as ecosystems, and I want a little tidiness here and there. We don't always have the luxury of planting exactly the right plant in exactly the right light and soil, so we need to tweak things a bit.

Barbara
4/13/2021 09:10:51 am

How can I find landscapers or nurseries in my area (Central SC) to help plan a meadow yard?

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    Benjamin Vogt's thoughts on prairie gardening in Nebraska. With a healthy dose of landscape ethics, ecophilosophy, climate change,  and social justice.

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