Here are some of the things I've pondered while in the garden lately.
1. Let's face it, mulch doesn't really keep down the weeds.
Controversial? Perhaps. It's not that I'm against mulch. Mulch is great. But weeds are weeds, and, frankly, if all it took was a bit of nice stuff sitting on top of them to stop them growing, they wouldn't be called weeds. So, mulch for water retention. Mulch for the definition it can give a garden. But you're still going to have to tackle the weeds. (See also Item #5, below.)
2. While we're onto mulch, what's with the orange stuff??
Mulch is like fake tan. If it's not a natural colour, it just looks stupid. So let's lose the fluoro red and orange stuff, and, for that matter, the black stuff. Isn't brown an ok colour??
(For the record, my current favourite mulch is a finely shredded eucalyptus mulch. It's a light bronze shade. The chunky pine bark mulch I used to prefer suddenly seems too heavy and dark.)
3. It's good to have a plan, but...
Mostly, I like to think about and research my plant purchases before I make them. I like to think about what will work in the different conditions in different parts of my garden, what will work in terms of colour, form, size, etc. And generally a well-planned garden is going to work better than an unplanned garden. But sometimes you have to throw out the plan.
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| Ptilotus exaltatus 'Joey' |
I had to have one. (Or two, actually.) But I haven't completely disregarded my plan. In terms of form, colour and style they fit perfectly with the hot, dry border alongside my driveway. They're an Australian native, which works with other things in that bed, such as kangaroo paw. They've got beautiful grey-green foliage, and soft pinkish flowers, which works for my colour scheme. And they're perfect for the conditions there -- hot and dry, with full to part sun.
Now, it's just fingers crossed!
4. It's ok to change your mind.
I would say that I've never been a fan of geraniums. But recently when I wanted to buy some seedlings for my 3-year-old to plant in her "special pots", I bought some white flowering, ivy-leafed geraniums. They're hardy, good for pots, and would flower quickly. Just right for the short attention span of a 3-year-old!
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| Geranium Spreading White Blush |
But I've come to quite like them. And this morning I bought some more seedlings for myself.
5. Sometimes there are no shortcuts
I've mentioned in a previous post that one of the things I inherited with this garden was an oxalis problem. 'Problem' is an understatement. Left to its own devices, I'm sure the oxalis from my garden would happily take over the world. I've spent countless hours pulling and digging up these dreaded blighters, and can safely say that even though just pulling them up by their lush green leaves and stems is tempting, it is JUST NOT WORTH IT!
Here's why:
This variety of oxalis makes use of every trick in the book. The bulbs can hide themselves several inches below the surface. They split easily, meaning they spread easily. And they even have that nice juicy looking tuber that I presume helps them survive in extra dry conditions.
Pulling these guys up from the top without digging out these bulbs and tubers just lets them continue their march to world domination below the soil. So there are no shortcuts. The only options is to get in there and dig. And dig deep. And throw out heaps of soil as you go, because of all those little babies that break off so easily.
And don't think the mulch is going to keep them down.
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