Some history of gardening

THE FIRST FARMERS The origin of shaped and designed gardens dates back to around 3000 BC when the Egyptians farmed and built elaborate temples. The great palaces were decorated with potted topiary trimmed in fancy shapes made of box hedges. The designs were liked by traveling visitors and began to move into countries like Italy, Spain and Greece. Great cities like Rome had some knowledge of landscape design and engineering as far back as AD400. Through centuries of history people who gardened enjoyed turning open land into parks and play areas. Over time cities formed with homes featuring courtyards for growing fruit trees, herbs and vegetables. As the explorers traveling to new world's encountered many plants, they traded seeds, bulbs, spices with others. This enabled the spread of floral collections to move west across Europe and Britain. Devoted gardeners like monks had herbs, trees and food crops. They made wine, medicines and helped farmers with advice on crops to improve production. The first monks were like the master gardeners of the time.

Plants also were used for dyes on the hair, face and for cloth. The monks were the doctors who made medicinal teas from plants they grew, colored ink for recording history, recipes for healing and how to season food as well. Drying the herbs made it easier for them to preserve for making medicine. Many were pickled in a vinegar brine and to flavor wine too.

GARDEN HISTORY BY DESIGN The greatest thing ever in nature is to observe seeds go to plant and bloom in stages. We tend the plant for as long as it's alive in our garden. The seed knows what to do all on its own. The gardener simply chooses a style he wants to use to express by arranging the plants and choosing his or her personal beauty. That is why gardeners find this to be an interesting and satisfying hobby. We tend and feel responsible for the living plants. This can often become an obsession. Some of the oldest plants are still the toughest, most dependable plants to begin with if you are a new gardener. The cottage gardens were definitely very useful to help people be self sufficient. The plants grown varied and included fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers all enclosed in a fenced or walled in area. This was a very easy way to keep pests out.

Attracting birds

You can hang a feeder in the garden to see who comes to visit, but also consider what else the birds might need. Flowers with nectar, seeds they like and berries for winter food. Birds like to drink at water features and cool off in birdbaths. They need trees and shrubs for perches and protection from wind. Native plants attract birds and supply some food as well.

 

 

Many birds help by eating flying pests in your garden. Nature lovers and birdwatchers can view birds simply by providing food and shelter for them all year round. Some birds stay the winter and will keep visiting if food is near. Start to place some seed out in fall just before winter sets in. Continue to fill the feeders every week until spring. That's when the birds can find plenty to eat on their own. By planting evergreens like pine, spruce and cedar you can provide nesting and roosting sites. The seeds from ornamental grasses are eaten by finches and chickadee. They will nest in the tall grass. They like native plants like thistles, Coneflower, Milkweed so leave the flower head on the plants to provide some seeds. Dill, parsley, corn, fennel and carrot all provide good seeds for birds. It's simple to add a hedge row of raspberries, serviceberry, choke cherry, highbush cranberry, crab apple or grape to provide a wind break as well as food and shelter for birds. Cut off the whole head of your sunflowers and tie to a fence or hang from low branches of trees to feed the birds. Use recycled objects to fill with suet and seeds for hanging bird feeders.

 

Thick rows of rose bushes, dogwood, snowberry, currents or willow added to a hedge to provide food and perches for birds. Always leave the trimming and cleanup until spring. Common birds like Blue Jay, Cardinal, Goldfinch, Junco, Grosbeak, Chickadee and Sparrow all enjoy most sunflower and mixed seeds. Add these to bacon fat and peanut butter to coat logs or pine cones. Hang the treats out on branches close to a window and watch them enjoy. Hummingbirds are so fast and so tiny you might not know you have some visiting unless you're looking for them. By planting their favorite nectar plants and choosing red and orange bloom colors you will have success in attracting some hummingbirds. They feed 3 to 5 times a day on nectar from tube shape flowers like coral bells, trumpet vine, columbine, Salvia, Penstemon and Canna lily.

Shade gardens

Shade gardens are those planted and grown in areas that get very little or no direct sunlight. They are often under trees or along buildings and fences. The challenge is to find plants that thrive in the shade you have. It may be cool, damp, dry or very wet. Plants not suited for the shade tend to grow tall and leggy. Most herbs and vegetables don't do well in mostly shady gardens. Some ground covers and woodland plants do very well in shade. Try Lamium and Euonymus under a tree or up a shady fence or wall. These can be used instead of grass as it is often difficult to grow grass because the tree will take all the moisture available. Shady spots are also ideal for seating areas, small patios, courtyards, birdbaths or water features.

THE PLANTAIN LILY is a very attractive plant with large light green leaves. It generally flowers in late summer right up until the frosts hit in late October. They don't require any special soil, grow in wet or dry shade, can be under planted with trees or shrubs and have large showy blooms with a strong fragrance like other lilies.

 Many of the shade loving plants have large leaves with small blooms. Pick foliage with interesting textures, sizes and colors to break up all the green. Spring bulbs do well under deciduous trees because they emerge and bloom before the tree leafs out and then die back and disappear. Plant your spring bulbs in between the bigger perennials in order to have continued color in spring, early to mid summer and later in August right up to fall. Do this by choosing those that bloom at different times. The bulbs like tulip and daffodil, bloodroot and bergenia take care of May into June, then the Iris, Solomon seal, spiderwort, Ferns, some variety of Hosta and Plantain Lily take over for July into August. Penstemon, Monkshood and virginia creeper all put on a show late of color in summer right up to the first frost in fall. It's not difficult to have a very showy border in a mostly shady location.

PLANTS FOR PART SHADE: Brunnera, Spiderwort, Ferns, Phlox, Hosta, painted fern, Ajuga, Bloodroot, Periwinkle, Bergenia, Honeysuckle, Dogwood, Mock orange, Lily of the valley, Hydrangea and creeping juniper and EUPHORBIA are hardy perennials that have white, blue, pink, red or yellow blooms. Many of these also are very scented or come in varieties with variegated leaves.

 MASTERWORT is another hardy one with 24 inch stems of pink blooms in mid summer. A beardless iris like the Japanese or Siberian variety do well in damp soil and along the edge of water ponds.

 RODGERSIAS have large leaves with 24 inch stems of cream plumes. HOSTA come in plain or variegated leaf, large or small varieties and are some of the easiest perennials to grow and maintain.

 LIGULARIA have reddish leaves in spring with 36 inch tall purple stems and bright yellow blooms.

 

Bog and wetland gardens

Purple Loosestrife is a tall showy plant but beware it can be invasive in a bog or along streams and rivers. Keep it in check by pulling out young plants and deadheading to stop it from spreading.

Sedge grass holds a wet slope or edge of a pond in place with it's roots. It also provides seed heads for birds to feed on and is very ornamental.
 

Bogs, Fens, Mires and Marshes all are wet land areas that usually get drained to create agricultural or urban land use. But the plants that thrive and live there are being depleted rapidly. Cattails, sedge grass, papyrus and Saw grass all provide home to birds, insects and animals. The plants have adapted to the wet with rhizomes for underground storage and reproduction. Bogs naturally grow Peat, Moss, Heather and Heath. Some have orchids, pitcher plant, bog myrtle and fungi. Sedge grass and yellow flag are tall ornamental plants found in bogs. If you have a wet low lying area or permanent wet shady spot, you can grow some bog plants. They are well suited to moist and shady conditions. You could plant a bog if there is a stream running on your site. To make your own use a pond liner to create a bog, but control drainage by adding gravel and a few holes to let water slowly seep out. If the soil is very sandy or clay add some fallen leaves, leave to rot and compost, then add plants. Simply add more leaves every fall to feed the soil and improve the quality and texture. Royal Fern do well in wet bogs.

 

BOG plants to consider: Venus fly trap, Royal fern, Marsh Marigold, lobelia, primrose, bladderwort, bog rosemary, loosestrife all do well in wet shade. The Pitcher Plant and Siberian Iris love to have wet feet.