Sunday Opinion: Looking After One’s Own

A recent article in my local newspaper warned readers about how garden centers can offer bad advice to their customers.  He referred in particular to a reader who had written in regarding 30 boxwood that she and her husband had purchased from a garden center, and planted themselves.  On the advice of the nursery person, they did not remove the burlap from the rootball, and they planted the shrubs such that part of the rootball was above grade. They furthermore had installed drip irrigation.  Some time later, she realized her plants were not thriving; the leaves had started to turn yellow, and/or red.  What was the problem, and what should she do?  Though the writer did answer with the obvious –  that it is very difficult to diagnose plant problems without observing them and the environment in which they were planted – a diagnosis he did make. His conclusion?  Watch out for what garden center people tell you. From the fact they were watering with drip irrigation, he deduced she might be overwatering as our area had had more than enough rainfall this year. She should water less.  He went on to state that given the rules regarding proper planting practices, which have not changed over the past 25 years, she had planted the shrubs improperly.  She had been given very bad  advice from the nursery staff person.  For starters, the burlap should have been completely removed from each shrub.  For finishers, each shrub should have been planted with the top of the rootball just below the surface of the existing soil.  The soil should then be tamped down, and a “a ridge of soil a foot or so” should ring each plant so as to capture rain.  Lastly, he states that as there are no exceptions to these rules, they should give consideration to digging up and replanting all thirty boxwood.

My first reaction to this article was to look at the science.  I checked out the rainfall history for past 90 days in our area via the National Weather Service.  Unless I am reading the table wrong, our area is four to six inches below the average rainfall normal for this time period.  We certainly have not had the relentless rain that other parts of the country have experienced this year.  We have had an unusually cool summer, which could perhaps account for a slower water evaporation rate from the reader’s soil.   Yellow leaves on boxwood can be a result of other things besides too much water-as in too little water, root rot, winter damage, fungal infections etc.  I am of the opinion that the proper diagnosis of a plant problem cannot be made without a visual inspection and assessment of the environment.  I also think diagnosing the problems of plants is as much an art, as a science.  The diagnostician will give weight to this factor more than that one, based on his experience and judgment.

In the nursery industry, a “B and B” shrub refers to the fact that it is balled and burlapped.  Successful tranplanting of a shrub from one place to another has much to do with maintaining an intact rootball.   The burlap on a small shrub, and a wire cage over burlap on a large tree is a means by which to protect the integrity of the rootball.  Evergreen shrubs in particular need fairly large rootballs to weather the insult of transplanting. Broken rootballs can kill plants. The plastic burlap common years ago has given way to fibrous burlap which does rot, given enough time.  I myself have planted many thousands of boxwood over the past 25 years; I have never removed the burlap entirely from the ball. I only cut the burlap away from the trunk and shoulders of the ball for two reasons.  I do not want burlap exposed to the air to wick water away from the rootball. More importantly,  I need to visually inspect the top of the ball.  Sometimes in the process of burlapping, a rootball goes soft, and soil from below gets accidentally mounded up around the trunk of the plant. The point at which a trunk becomes roots tells you what goes above ground, and what goes below, and seeing is believing.  One cannot assume that the soil you see on top accurately represents the true top of the rootball. Likewise, the top of the burlap tells you nothing about the juncture of trunk and rootball. Planting any plant too deep is a sure recipe for failure; roots drown if water cannot drain away from them.  I would never plant a shrub slightly below grade for this reason. I routinely plant shrubs slightly above grade; there is plenty of support for this practice in the literature.  I furthermore have a hedge of arborvitae whose mulched rootballs have been sitting on top of my gravel driveway for the past 3 years; they are thriving on this mini-mountain berm. It is my opinion that there is no one set of rules for planting- any deviance from which will result in failure.  I have seen many successful plantings over many years that do not play by the aforementioned rules. 

My point with all of this?  Horticultural practice has changed plenty in degree, if not substance, over the past 25 years.  The body of scientific information changes and grows regularly.  Anything you read and absorb from university cooperative extension agencies, garden centers, the internet, the RHS dictionary, and other gardeners can help you be a better gardener – provided you realize there will be no substitute for your own trial and error, your own experience and good judgment.  I am a landscape professional whose planting practices have worked successfully a great majority of the time over the past 25 years.  This does not lead me to suggest that how I do things is the right or the only way to do things. What works for me could be of interest to you, or not. Any gardener is free to subscribe or not to an idea; it is their decision.  This is precisely why people consult with others, and get second opinions.

When I make decisions, the responsibility for that decision becomes mine.  In many years of garden making I have had plenty that has not worked.  By and large, my failures belong to me, and not someone else. Anyone who purchases plants at a garden center and plants them, assumes the responsibility for what happens as a result of their selection, placement, planting, watering, winter care, pruning, feeding-and so on.  Though many garden centers have free replacement policies, that does not apply to plants that are alive, but in poor health.  Protect your investment of time and money by becoming educated. If you have the idea to plant, learn about how to do so before you invest your money time and effort.   If you don’t educate yourself, the plants will educate you; they do not always give out second chances.   If you still are uncertain as to how to proceed,  get a consultation from someone whose knowledge and experience makes their opinion a good bet. Though garden centers do plenty to educate their staff people, not everyone’s knowledge and aptitude for  planting or diagnosing problems is equal.  It is a simple matter to ask a salesperson if they have a shade garden at home, and for how long, before taking their recommendation on the merits of various shade perennials. The surgeon who will replace my failing knee this winter has replaced thousands of knees successfully.  This is an excellent reason to have consulted him, and trust his judgment.  Were I having problems with shrubs I had spent a lot of money time and effort to plant, I would consult someone who diagnoses these problems professionally.  As I would want to claim ownership of my successes, I need be willing to own my own failures.     

 Though I design and plant for my clients, I explain that the responsibility for the health and well-being of that landscape is theirs, once I have finished and gone home. Though I check in once in a while at the beginning, I need them to keep up with what I have begun-water, watch, and call me at the first hint of trouble.  Though I have made a career of planting plants, I have asked for help plenty of times.  I know all I have at my disposal to help people is my experience, integrity, and reasonably good judgment.  I am not the keeper of the keys. Though I try very hard to ensure success for my clients, this does preclude things from going awry. The best reason for taking on responsibility?  No one will ever care as much about your landscape as you do.   Taking responsibility is as rewarding as it is scary;  seeing one’s committment to keeping a landscape alive and thriving come to an ongoing and evolving fruition?  So very satisfying.

At A Glance: Sunny

 

 

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A Sculpture for the City

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When a landscape architect for the city of Sault Ste Marie called about a sculpture/fountain that he might install in a tiny new city park, I did not tell him that I had nothing for him.  Who wants to talk to a client about what you cannot do for them? I am able to do things differently, as I have a very talented staff who are able to manage and fabricate all manner of custom work for clients. The fabrication studio shown above makes it possible to produce work in concrete, steel, wood and any combination thereof.  I told him we would be happy to design and quote a fountain for his project.

2008 Branch 8-12-08 (13)The upper peninsula of Michigan, and the Sault in particular, is home to a substantial population of American bald eagles.  They are proud of the fact that the eagle which symbolizes our entire nation thrives here, as well they should be.  The bald eagle is as much a local treasure, as it is a national one.  As any fountain placed on City property would be subject of discussion, design and review by committee, it seemed those firecely wild and independent birds would make a fitting subject for a sculpture, and appeal to a broad audience.  We chose a subject matter we knew would strike a chord with a number of people.  Given some drawings and dimensions of this object, a CAD drawing was produced enabling the project to be quoted.  Nothing with cities proceeds quickly, but it does proceed; we were cleared to build.

August 13 pictures 163This fourteen foot tall steel sculpture interpretive of a tree would cover a plumbing system designed to propel water out the topmost branch.  Attached to that tree would be a network of steel twigs representing an eagle aerie.  The galvanizing tank in which we hot dip galvanize all of our steel is only 5.5 feet wide; one branch of the tree would have to be mechanically installed after the contruction process was complete. The fountain was designed in the round for viewing, not designed to fit a tank. 

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A five ton bridge crane allowed us to lay the sculpture down on a trailer, and transport it to the galvanizer. It was a days work for for the tank operator to carefully suspend and dip this piece, and its wide branch, without incident.  We stayed the entire length of the galvanizing process, so the piece would not have to be stored there; we trailored it home that night.  

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The hot dip galvanizing process covered every surface with a layer of zinc; this zinc would protect the steel from rust.  The steel plate welded to the bottom of the sculpture would be bolted to a concrete foundation, ensuring that no wind or other  bad weather could topple it; that plate accounted for 300 of the 2000 pounds of steel used in all.

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Acid washing the galvanized steel changed the finish dramatically.  What was silver is now a very dark streaky grey.  We hooked up a hose once the finish was completed, to check that the plumbing would work; this moment gave Buck more than a little anxiety.  If there were a problem with the plumbing, how could it be repaired? As he is a very thorough and thoughtful fabricator, the fountain passed its most important test. 

DSC_0016Life-size bald eagles hand sculpted  from a steel rod and mesh galvanized armature, and acid stained mortar, would be attached to the sculpture via steel sleeves made to match the size and angle of the legs.   

buckBuck followed  this semitruck on whose whose flatbed that sculpture was securely tied down-for 340 miles.  The next day, he supervised the installation, driving home late in the day. The sculpture had been installed.

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The landscape architect, John Rowe, had designed a pool which captured the fountain water underground, and recirculated it. The design of the pool was much more about native Michigan rock, than water.  The clump of steel cattails provided sculptural interest closer to eye level. We kept the concrete sculptures high in the air; they can be seen from far away. The stone edge was wide enough to provide seating.  The materials used are gritty, as befits this urban neighborhood. It does indeed look like it belongs there.

Palmette Legendre

IMG_0870Would not the silhouette of this tree, trained and grown parallel to a wall, get your attention?  Even out of leaf, it is striking.  You are looking at an espalier- a tree trained to grow in only two dimensions.   In the late 1600’s, Fr. Legendre, a monk living in Hanonville France was in charge of his monastery’s garden.  His fruit trees were bedevilled by late frosts that killed the fruiting buds.  Noticing that the fruit trees planted closest to the monastery walls sustained the least damage, he began planting his fruit trees as close to the walls as possible. As wall space was limited, he began shearing his trees, so as to provide room for all the varieties he wanted to grow.  Amazingly, the drastically sheared trees produced heavier yields than unpruned trees in the field. His book, Palmette Legendre, was published shortly before his death in 1684.  This book is the earliest known text regarding the science of growing espaliers. These trees, pruned  flat, spare, and parallel to a wall, had fewer cultural problems, took up little space, and were beautiful to boot.

IMG_0847Espaliered fruit trees look like no naturally growing tree .  Though no tree expert would advise this kind of planting, pruning and shaping, Father Legendre’s ideas practices enabled ample fruit for everyone living at his monastery.  Sometimes the hand of man comes to good end in the environment.  This very early spring picture shows an espaliered tree, grown in the candelabra shape.  It would be beautiful, grown on a blank wall-never mind the fruit. Training trees to grow in two dimensions became a gardening art form-even for those who had no need to feed many from a very small plot of land. 

Sept 16a 013I make a special effort to offer exceptional espaliered trees to my clients.  My grower of choice is of French descent, and his espaliers take my breath away. I drive a day’s length to see and review his espaliers.  He grows in the traditional way, and only has a few trees to offer for sale every year. He sells no trees that are not at least seven years old; his big trees are much older.  He pots his trees, and then sinks the pots in the ground.   Note that the trunk of this tree is positioned to the back of its pots-his trees are easy to plant close to a wall.  

IMG_0903Their winter appearance is architectural.  The American landscape is fundamentally based on big spaces; we have eight lane highways and driveways 22 feet wide.  This makes this particular dose of French editing all the more refreshing. People who come to my store are invariably interested in their history and forms.

Sept 16a 014My grower trains some of his espaliers in a form not existing in the classical literature.  This framed heart is entirely his invention; how I love this.  It has a distinctly American feeling; he has taken his classical training, and gone beyond. 

sept11b 016This informal heart espalier enchanted one of my clients.  I call it the wild at heart espalier.  As she had no room in the ground, we built her a box for her deck,  insulated to slow the freeze, and delay the spring thaw; this apple tree is thriving. We heap up the compost after the ground freezes, and we uncover it in the spring; so far, so good.

Sept 16 005Not all espaliers are fruit trees.  The art of training espaliered trees has extended to many trees tolerant of this treatment.  This Bradford pear makes a big statement as an espalier. Any lonely wall would be all the happier for this tree planted on it.

Sept 16 004This series of trees is known as a Belgian Fence.  You can see that individual trees were topped low to the ground as whips, encouraging branching in both directions.  The branches of these trees are trained in a  diamond pattern; what a beautiful living ornament for a long wall, or a free standing fence.

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These shaggy Donald Wyman crabapple espaliers are in need of a trim to reveal their form. But no one could dispute how lustily they are growing.   A wall, and an espalier make good companions. Espaliers-of course they are on my list of favorite plants.