Adam's Garden

The amount of time spent in the garden working on different areas can vary quite dramatically from year to year simply on account of the climatic conditions. For example, during the midsummer period we had an extended dry spell, and as the days passed more and more time was taken up during the late afternoon watering the parched soil, pandering to the less drought resistant plants. This soon became exceptionally tedious, and was skipped on a few occasions, resulting in several wilting specimens. One plant particularly affected was the Acnistus, a native of Tropical America. Without copious daily watering the leaves would begin to curl, exposing their paler undersides and a general air of neglect would surround them. I have four or five hoses positioned around the farm connected to taps, facilitated by the extensive water supply infrastructure which is essential when catering for animals. The outbuildings are supplied by a network of alkathene pipes and new taps can be added in convenient places, which makes things a lot easier for the gardener. Sprinklers can be left on to cover one section of garden whilst more problematic areas, such as those with containers and smaller beds, can be done by hand. In addition there are a few water butts for when the odd container needs a quick drink.

During this dry period, whilst the time spent watering was excessive, there was very little grass cutting required. The lawns became quite brown. I draw the line at watering the grass because one never knows quite how long the dry weather will last, and the volume of water required for this exercise can get out of hand. Verges will grow slightly better than lawns in these conditions but the usually onerous task of regular strimming was reduced to the barest minimum. A few years back there was a very wet, mild summer and very little time was wasted watering. However, I spent endless hours cutting grass. So it is swings and roundabouts, heavy watering and no cutting or vice-versa. Of course, the ideal scenario would be just enough rain to keep the beds and borders going, but not so much that the grass grows too quickly. I know gardeners are optimists but this idea takes it to new heights!

Much time can be wasted during summer in dead-heading, but at least the benefits are immediately apparent, like painting a window frame. The worst plants to deal with are perennial Geraniums because of the vast number of flowers that only last a couple of days before producing the familiar crane's bill shaped pods. Pelargoniums are no problem because the heads snap off easily at the base of the stalk, although there are always some unopened florets left on the discarded flower. In the past I have attempted to nip out the individual florets as they die but it takes so long that unless you have a real specimen or show plant it is just not worth the effort. Dahlias are easy to dead-head by seizing and pulling off the seed-heads, but this does leave a stalk behind and after some days it is best to go round with some scissors and remove those that accumulate. Roses have to be the easiest plants of the lot to dead-head. The flowers are usually easily accessible and the plant really benefits from regular attention. Some plants of course are not really worth dead-heading, like annual Gypsophila and annual Alyssum, and others don't need it at all. There is a lot to be said for foliage plants in this respect, as long as they do not bear flowers that require removing because they detract from the foliage. Coleus, for example, have superb leaves but the flowers do need to go.

During a drought there is the bonus of reduced weeding, another job that can account for an inordinate amount of the time spent in the garden. In theory weeds are best removed before they have got their feet too far down but in practice it is tricky to get hold of them when they are tiny, and they are also harder to spot. In addition this job is usually one of the last on the list and often delayed, and by the time it is done the weeds are large and easily extracted. In the vegetable plot it is much easier to use a hoe but in beds I prefer to get stuck in with my hands because plants usually need holding aside to get at the weeds. Mulching will reduce the amount of weeding required but can be expensive and time must be spent applying it. It does of course have other benefits but our theme here concerns the use of time in the garden.

The best use of time in the garden is, naturally, leisure - just relaxing chatting with a drink - and even this can be put to use in planning new schemes, or just swapping ideas, or maybe reading gardening literature. The beauty of gardening is the unlimited scope and infinite variations possible. Most of us achieve just a few, but with time on our side there is almost no limit to what we can aspire.

You can find more articles in the archive under Soiled Hands.

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