Deodar Cedar Issues – Part II

Evening fog by autan

In a post earlier this week TheGardenLady gave an answer to a question from a Katherine about a problem she is having with her giant Deodar cedar tree.  TheGardenLady has more to say on this topic.

There are three major things plants need to grow and thrive. The first is adequate light for the plant species. Most flowering plants like sun. Very few plants will put out flowers if there is not sunlight or light. The second requirement is water or moisture. Every plant has a certain moisture requirement. And last, plants need nutrients. They take nutrients from the soil or sometimes from water, especially if nutrients are added to the water.

When you have a large tree, it wants a lot of the light, water and nutrients for itself. And when you have a large evergreen tree, it usually takes up the light and under the tree, it is often too dark for other plants to survive. The second need the tree has is for water. A massive tree will have massive roots that are searching for water that falls to the ground and its leaves, or needles, also absorb some of the water as it falls. So any plant that could grow under the tree has to be pretty drought tolerant- unfortunately most shade loving plants love water, too. And finally nutrients, a huge tree is using its roots to get nutrients for the tree, so a plant that is trying to grow under a large tree is going to have difficulty trying to get nutrients for its needs. This is besides the fact that evergreens drop those needles that make the soil acid. And not all plants can grow in all Hardiness Temperature Zones. So you see why you are having such a difficult problem.

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The Gazebo – A Great Structure for the Garden

Doesn’t everyone find a garden gazebo romantic? Is it because of the scene in The Sound of Music where they sang “Sixteen Going on Seventeen”? TheGardenLady read that you can still visit that pavilion structure in Austria. I do not know where it is located.

This GardenLady finds the gazebo one of the loveliest buildings in the garden. It is the perfect spot to sit and gaze at your beautiful garden or to meditate in the serenity of your garden or to have a picnic. It shelters you from the elements and you can also have one screened in like a porch to shelter you from insects. It is sort of a dolls’ house for adults.

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Deodar Cedar Issues – Part I

TheGardenLady received this question from Katherine.

We have a 1911 Craftsman home in Hollywood with a giant deodar cedar in the front yard (photos above). I’ve tried planting salvia, heather, dahlias, azaleas, camellias, succulents, annuals, etc. and nothing really thrives or looks right. Someone suggested ferns, but I can’t see this front yard full of ferns. Do you have any suggestions? The problem is the needles. They blanket the ground year round. We’ve also tried grass, and it looked very patchy. This year, I planted some cyclamen and threw some wildflower seeds in frustration. The cosmos are actually sprouting. There is dappled light. The camellia seems to be the happiest, but it is away from the base of the tree. My gardener once tried impatiens, but I did not like the look of the ring of flowers by the base of the trunk.  I’ve looked for photos, etc, and nothing seems to work under these gigantic, and I mean GIGANTIC, trees. Help!

Having a big evergreen growing in one’s yard creates a difficult planting situation for anyone, that is why you do not see photos of plants growing under them. Plants like to grow in an area that provides its needs, which the huge evergreen tree may be using. This GardenLady may not be any more helpful for what you are wishing for than anyone else. Let me explain why.

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Earth Day 2012 – April 22

Earth Day Embrace by jurvetson

April 22nd is Earth Day for the world to celebrate our planet, to voice your “appreciation for the planet and demand its protection. Together we will stand united for a sustainable future and call upon individuals, organizations, and governments to do their part.” (see here) What are you, your family and friends doing that day?

One small suggestion is to plan which plants you will put in your garden to help the pollinators. You don’t have to have very much land to plant just one plant. And if you really don’t have any place to plant something, join your community in creating a community garden or organize your community to create a community garden. I have a neighbor who has adopted an island in the street near his house. He plants it with bulbs and flowers for it to look beautiful all during the growing season as well as entice pollinators there.

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Creative Gardening to Deal with Problems – Part II

Curbside flower bed by anarchitect

In the last post, TheGardenLady talked about creative ways of dealing with problems when gardening.  TheGardenLady mentioned “limbing up” of the trees on your property.  This means to cut the lower branches of your trees to see if enough light will now get to your plants.  If limbing up doesn’t work, find out if planting that strip is legal where you live. Some areas have outdoor restrictions.

If you are allowed to plant on the strip, the most important thing to do before planting on the strip or even on your front lawn is to utilize Safe Excavation Practices. Each state has a place where you can phone to know what is below where you are digging. This is your state’s Underground Damage Prevention Program. Most states have an 811 number. It is the law. Call them before you do any digging to be safe. Most flowering plants are fairly shallow-rooted, so there should be no problem. Still you cannot assume that underground facilities are at a certain depth.

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Creative Gardening to Deal with Problems – Part I

Creative Garden landscape Car by epSos.de

ThisGardenLady grew up on a farm where there were always flowers. Though my mother did not have a nursery, she raised so many flowers that she did sell bouquets of flowers in the summer months.

So when I bought the property where I now live, I wanted large colorful flowers. But I couldn’t find a good place to plant them on this property because the original owner had planted sycamore trees- two in the front yard and three on the side of the yard. And in the back yard along the stream the property looks more like an old forest type of land. It is very pretty to look at and the trees keep the property cool during the heat of the summer. But this kind of property is not the kind that big flowers like. It is not the kind of environment for roses, for example.

Very few people find a property that has it all- a perfect place for a flower garden and a perfect place for a vegetable garden, etc. We all have to compromise or make do in the most creative way we can.

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If You’re Celebrating Easter or Passover, TheGardenLady Hopes Your Holiday is Full of Happiness

Darom Adom – CC-BY – Zachi Evenor by Zachi Evenor

TheGardenLady wishes all those who celebrate Passover and Easter, a very happy holiday season surrounded by family and friends with good eating.

This is a wonderful time to decorate your homes with beautiful flowers. If you would like to have something different instead of the usual lilies, tulips and hyacinths to decorate your homes, consider the Anemone coronaria or poppy anemone (see photo above) if you are lucky enough to have a florist that sells this flower. The Anemone coronaria grows wild in the fields and forests of Israel in the spring. (See here)  So, in a way, you will be bringing a little of what the ancients saw in Israel into your homes. (See here)

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