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Author: Mike Darcy

Mike lives and gardens in a suburb of Portland, Oregon where he has resided since 1969. He grew in up Tucson, Arizona where he worked at a small retail nursery during his high school and college years. He received his formal education at the University of Arizona where he was awarded a Bachelor of Science Degree in Horticulture, and though he values his formal education, he values his field-experience more. It is hard to beat the ‘hands on’ experience of actually gardening, visiting gardens, and sharing information with other gardeners. Mike has been involved with gardening communications throughout his adult life. In addition to garden writing, he has done television gardening shows in Portland, and for over 30 years he hosted a Saturday radio talk show in Portland. Now he writes, speaks, gardens and continues to share his love of gardening. To be connected to the gardening industry is a bonus in life for Mike. He has found gardeners to be among the friendliest and most caring, generous people. Consequently, many of his friends he has met through gardening.

Spring Garden Soil Amendment

wagon with sedums
Amendments help garden and container plants perform better all season.

In a perfect world, we might be able to dig into the soil at any place in our garden and have it be like reaching into a bag of rich potting mix. This is, of course, wishful thinking. Unfortunately, for many of the plants we grow, whether ornamental or edible, some amending of the soil is probably required for optimum results.

Know Your Soil pH

When discussing soil amendments, it is a good idea to begin at a basic level, and the first thing a homeowner needs to know is the pH of the soil and what nutrients are missing. Most longtime gardeners will know of a soil testing laboratory where they can send small bags of their soil for a complete analysis. If you are unsure of how to find a reputable lab, check with your local garden center or state extension service as they will probably have several to recommend. Usually about one cup of soil collected from

Tulips with grape hyacinths make wonderful spring color containers.
Tulips with grape hyacinths make wonderful spring color containers.

various parts of your garden is needed for a good analysis. Check with the lab to see how many different soil samples they recommend you send. Once you have the results from the soil test, you can begin to amend the soil with what it is lacking. Also, be sure to take into consideration the plants you will be using as different plants may require different soil types and different nutrients.

Amend Before Planting

I like to remind readers that you have one chance to amend the soil around the root system of a plant when you are planting it. That is why I consider the proper preparation of the planting hole a crucial element necessary for your plant to thrive. This is not quite as important when planting annuals, but for permanent shrubs and trees, it is your opportunity to get it right.

In my own garden, the one item most lacking is compost or some type of organic matter in the soil. Whenever I am planting, my first choice for amending the soil is Black Gold Garden Compost Blend, and I always try to have some on hand. If I am planting a 1-5 gallon size plant, I try to dig a hole twice the size of the container. Then I mix the conditioner with some of the existing soil and use this mix both under and around the new plant. In areas where my soil tends to dry out quickly in the summer, if I have plants that like to have their roots moist, I add Black Gold Just Coir in the top several inches of soil as I have found this has excellent water holding retention qualities.

Amending Clay Soils

When I have sections of my garden that have heavy or clay soil, I not only add the compost but also pumice. I also use pumice in areas of my garden where the drainage is poor and I use it in some of my containers as a safety net to help insure excellent drainage and

The brilliant red new emerging leaves of the Japanese maple ‘Hana Matoi’ are helped along by a little spring amendment.
The brilliant red new emerging leaves of the Japanese maple ‘Hana Matoi’ are helped along by a little spring amendment.

increase aeration. For some of my containers, especially those where soil will be visible for most of the season, I add Black Gold Earthworm Castings. Visually this enhances the soil when used as a top dressing and it helps enrich it as well.

Spring fertilization is something I do every year. Recently I have been fertilizing some of my established plantings with a quality all-purpose fertilizer. I like to lightly cultivate it into the soil and then either water or let the rain carry it down to the plant roots.

We have been having some glorious weather here in the Pacific Northwest, and it has provided us with some great ‘windows’ for gardening. Take some time to relax and enjoy the beauty we are surrounded with. When I walk in my neighborhood, I see the flowers of tulips, daffodils, magnolias, flowering cherry and the many colors of Japanese Maples as their new spring leaves appear. The list could go on. Enjoy the peace and serenity of your own surroundings and beauty nature provides.

Container Gardening: 148 Containers & Counting

stand alone pot
Sometimes a stand-alone pot in the garden is like a work of art.

I knew that I had many containers around my garden, on the deck, on the patio, in the flower beds, at the entryway, along the driveway, but I never really thought about how many I actually had. Today, I walked around the garden and counted. My final count was 148. That is more than I ever dreamed of and so I made a second trip around the garden just to be sure and the number came up the same, 148.

Continue reading “Container Gardening: 148 Containers & Counting”

Gravel Gardens

This gravel garden is creative and bright!
This gravel garden is creative and bright!

 

Succulent gardening can break beyond the traditional rock garden model. Take, for example, gravel gardens. These unique garden spaces support most plants that would thrive in a rock garden, but instead of rocks they are bedded in attractive gravel and fast-draining mix.

Establishing Gravel Gardens

A general statement regarding plants for gravel gardens is that as a group they tend to like sunnier and dryer conditions. Once established, they generally require no supplemental water, if they exist in areas with average rainfall. When establishing these gardens, the most crucial element is the soil. Soil preparation to provide quick drainage is the key to healthy and successful gravel gardens and preparation must be done prior to planting.

car with sedum
This whimsical sedum garden is a delight!

An excellent soil amendment is Black Gold Cactus Mix. It provides the fast-draining requirements. In addition, pumice and washed gravel are both stone-based amendments perfect for these gardens. Both increase aeration and drainage, which is critical to successful gravel gardening.

There is a presumption that gravel gardens look dry and sparse and that is certainly not the case. In a recent garden I visited, the pathways were gravel, the beds were lined with rock and there was a wide assortment of colorful low-water plants to give color during the summer. This garden also had a small pond and there was even a rose bed in the background. While this is probably not the typical gravel garden, it provides a good example of the diversity of plants a gardener can incorporate.

wagon with sedums
Sedums cascade from this fallen wheelbarrow garden.

Plants for Gravel Gardens

One of my favorite gravel gardens incorporates a diversity of drought tolerant plants and has a focal point of a beautiful blue ceramic pot to match the blue wall in the background. There is a fountain in front of the blue wall with a Giant Sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum) in the background. To the right and left of the pond are two small olive trees, (Olea europaea ‘Arbequina’), and throughout the area are drought tolerant plants with a blooming Kniphofia in the foreground. This is a wonderful example of how individual gardeners can create their own special space and plant palette.

Succulent plants are familiar to many gardeners. These plants have thick fleshy leaves or stems able to store extra water. Cacti and sedums are two good examples. In many gardens that I visit, sedums are often used in sharply drained, gravelly gardens. The very popular Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ is widely planted in gardens throughout the Pacific Northwest and is also a favorite for perennial flower beds. It is a very reliable late summer bloomer, and the flowers are a favorite of honey bees. Hens and chicks, hardy cacti and beautiful sedums, like the unique ‘Touchdown Teak’, are also ideal for these gardens.

Sedum 'Touchdown Teak' is a pretty sedum just perfect for gravel gardens.
Sedum ‘Touchdown Teak’ is a pretty sedum just perfect for gravel gardens.

I love visiting other gardens to see some of the things that gardeners do with succulents and sedums. I have often seen them used in a whimsical sort of way. I think that a garden reflects the gardener, and when I see something whimsical I think this reflects the sense of humor of the gardener. Two recent garden visits bring this to my mind. The first garden contained a miniature car garden with sedums in it. What a perfect centerpiece for a garden party and a low maintenance one too! The second had a wagon filled with sedums that were placed to look as though a child might have just left it. When planting succulents in containers, regardless of whether it is a miniature car or a wagon, I would suggest using Black Gold Cactus Mix exclusively and not mixing it with garden soil.

As I mentioned earlier, with gravel garden plants, drainage is the critical factor. Many plants can even survive colder temperatures than normal if they have good drainage. Experiment and create some new gravel beds with succulent plants, you might be pleasantly surprised at the end result.

Sedum Aut.Joy, J. Livesay 2013

New Garden Flowers for 2014

Tangerine orange flowers grace Agastache 'Kudos Mandarin' through the hottest summer months.
Tangerine orange flowers grace Agastache ‘Kudos Mandarin’ through the hottest summer months. (photo care of Terra Nova Nurseries)

I do not believe I have ever met a gardener that isn’t always looking for something new to plant in the garden. I am certainly no exception. Each year is like a ‘hunt’ to search and find new plants for my garden. Here in the Pacific Northwest, we’ve had some record low temperatures in December, with some areas dipping down to single digits. Needless to say, many plants have suffered and those that are marginally winter hardy may not have survived. On the optimistic side, it creates an opportunity to plant something new!

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Trees and Shrubs for Fall and Winter Color

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Oxydendrum arboreum (sourwood) is often overlooked but deserves to be seen in more gardens. (photo by Jessie Keith)

Warm and sunny fall days have continued here in the Pacific Northwest through mid November. They have given gardeners time to trim summer perennials, transplant all those plants that were planted in the wrong location, plant bulbs, dig and protect tender plants and finish general garden cleanup. The mild weather has also allowed us to enjoy plants that provide fall color, whether via flower, fruit, berry, bark, foliage or a combination of these. I still have dahlias blooming in my garden, and while the plants are not at their best, they are still providing enough flowers for bouquets.

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Brugmansia, Burning Bush, Bulbs and Cleome in the Fall Garden

Burning bush is truly fiery in fall, but be sure it is not an ecological menace in your area.
Burning bush is truly fiery in fall, but be sure it is not an ecological menace in your area.

Last week when I saw my neighbor Janet working in her garden, she wanted me to see her blooming autumn crocus (Colchicum autumnale). While not actually a crocus, it resembles one and many gardeners know it by that name. Janet told me that whenever she sees the light pink flowers appear, she knows that fall is here.
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Garden Water Features and Carnivorous Plants

A hummingbird cools its feet on the edge of Mike's favorite garden water feature.
A hummingbird cools its feet on the edge of Mike’s favorite garden water feature.

In the Pacific Northwest, weather continues to be warm to hot with little or no rain. We have had a few sprinkles, but not enough to give plants the moisture they need. Even with adequate moisture, some plants look stressed on hot days as they cannot absorb as much water through their roots as they are losing through their leaves. I have found that a temporary ‘fix’ is to spray the foliage with water as this seems to help reduce leaf wilt.

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Summer Hydrangeas in the Garden and More

The brilliant white flowers of Snow Queen oakleaf hydrangea will brighten any summer garden, day or night.
The brilliant white flowers of Snow Queen oakleaf hydrangea will brighten any summer garden, day or night. (Photo by Jessie Keith)

It has been a busy summer with many exciting activities! Aside from my normal radio, writing and garden work, there have been garden tours, talks and even contests to take part in. On June 29, my garden was one of five private gardens open for Garden Conservancy Open Garden Days in the Metro Portland Area. The Garden Conservancy is a national organization dedicated to preserving and helping to maintain both public and private gardens throughout the United States. (For example, one of their current ambitious goals is to restore the gardens on Alcatraz Island.) The admission fees collected for their Open Garden Days, $5 per garden entry, go to support their cause. Continue reading “Summer Hydrangeas in the Garden and More”

Tried-and-True Early Summer Flowers

Hartlage Wine summersweet
Hartlage Wine sweetshrub of one of several resilient early summer bloomers in Mike’s garden.

Unseasonably warm weather continues here in the Pacific Northwest, and the plants are responding to it. In many cases they need supplemental watering earlier than what would be the norm. And while my lawn has remained green with no extra water, many plants are showing signs of stress with the heat. This is especially true for those grown in containers and newly planted color spots. I am very glad that I used Black Gold Natural & Organic Potting Mix in all my pots this spring because it has done an excellent job of holding moisture for my summer flowers. Continue reading “Tried-and-True Early Summer Flowers”