Winter is a delightful time in the garden. The frost delicately plays on the twigs, and the birds, with their graceful flitting, add to the joy. I know they are seeking water, so I keep the bowls full by adding a heater to prevent freezing. The sound of the resident hawk, high above the canopy of the tallest trees, searching for his lunch, is a reminder of the interconnectedness of all life in the garden.
The leafless branches of the trees and shrubs in winter make it easier to spot design errors that can be rectified now. As long as the soil is not frozen, the cold of winter is an excellent time to move small trees and large shrubs because they are dormant. When I move plants in winter, I am always amazed at how resilient they are. They settle in the ground and grow roots, not skipping a beat and bouncing back quickly as if nothing happened, reassuring me of their adaptability.
No garden remains static; gardens evolve and transform. Designing a garden is a unique challenge because plants grow, unlike in interior design where a couch will not grow. Landscape Designers must always plan for the growth of plants. It’s crucial to always look online for information about a plant’s mature height and width, ensuring that your garden design is informed and adaptable to the changing needs of your plants.
Disease is also a factor in any garden; recently, we removed a large number of diseased and dying native rhododendrons from our woodland garden. When we moved here, these large, evergreen, blooming shrubs were dense and thick and bloomed in shades of white and light pink in mid-June. They created a visual barrier between the driveway and the woodland garden where the pond and the waterfall are located and provided excellent privacy. Several years ago, I noticed dead branches and brown droopy leaves. So, not good! I called in the experts, and soon, we had a diagnosis of Phytophthora, a common plant disease caused by a water mold. After we removed these, I realized the significant loss, so I began researching disease-resistant cultivated varieties of plants that would thrive in the shade of my woodland. Of course, it is November as I write this, so availability is very tight. I have several options. I can use an Ilex like “Steeds,” which is evergreen and similar to boxwood without the boxwood diseases. Second, I found that cethra alnifolia is also resistant to Phytophthora. Finally, calycanthus is also on my list. This project will have to wait until spring to complete.
