Today we’re in Phoenix, Maryland, visiting Sally Barker’s beautiful garden:
15.03.2024 - 17:05 / finegardening.com
Whenever I am working to resolve water problems in a landscape, I must acknowledge that water will always win. The best we can do is creatively direct it toward the areas where we would like it to end up, with a focus on minimizing erosion damage and retaining as much water as possible for use on site. Plants can be part of the solution, and some erosion control systems even double as useful outdoor spaces like patios and walkways. Here are a few ideas to get you thinking about how you can manage rainwater in your own garden.
One of the simplest ways to manage rainwater in the landscape is with the thoughtful placement of planting beds. For example, plantings on steep slopes can be used to slow down water and prevent erosion. One of my favorite shrubs for this purpose is ‘Gro-Low’ sumac (Rhus aromatica ‘Gro-Low’ Zones 4–9). When installing a ground cover like ‘Gro-Low’ on a steep slope, you can provide additional erosion control by covering the bare ground between plants with a coconut-fiber mat. This biodegradable material will cover the ground effectively for several years until the plants grow together to form a continuous ground cover. Coconut-fiber mat is available in rolls at home improvement centers, farm supply stores, and from suppliers that carry stormwater-drainage systems and materials.
Another idea for planting on a slope is to combine plants with fibrous root systems that hold soil in place; these can be used in conjunction with plants that have abundant overhead branching or foliage to buffer rainfall from above. The best mixed plantings create appealing displays of color and texture and are very effective in controlling and absorbing rainwater. Most ornamental grasses have extensive root systems that are
Today we’re in Phoenix, Maryland, visiting Sally Barker’s beautiful garden:
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We bought an old house and have been working extra hard on a self-build extension and house renovation for the last seven months. We have installed a big fixed window pane with the idea of looking out on to a lovely green back garden, but at the moment it is just a mound of earth, derived from the dig to get foundations done. What can I place here that will green quickly and also be bee and bird friendly and give us some nice colours and view for this summer? Would a wild flower meadow be the way to go until we figure out what to do with space or what can you recommend that is eco and purse friendly? RH, Co Dublin
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Today we’re off to Tennessee to visit Lou Ann’s garden:
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We’re back enjoying part two of Cherry Ong’s visit last June to the garden of perennial gardening expert Pam Frost on Vancouver, Canada. Cherry visited as part of a tour organized by the Vancouver Hardy Plant Society.