for greenhorns By Christa Buchanan Now that warmer weather has finally set in, it’s time to start getting dirty — in the garden, that is — and checking out the plant stock at local garden centers, nurseries and greenhouses, where perennials, annuals, trees, shrubs and evergreens sit in pots awaiting new homes in yards across metro Detroit. As for the novice gardener, don’t worry: If this is your first foray into landscaping, experts with green thumbs are on hand and more than willing to give gardening guidance. Kara Mulligan, of Mulligan’s Landscape and Garden Center in White Lake, advises gardening newbies to direct their questions to experts at local garden centers rather than “the big-box stores,” where employees may not have the knowledge to help and the plant’s origins may be unknown. The good news is, many local nurseries either grow their own plants or purchase them from local growers, which ensures that not only is each plant suitable for the local climate, but is also of the highest quality. That’s why Karl Bednarowski of Lone Star Landscaping in Shelby Township uses locally grown plant materials from Ray Wiegand’s Nursery in Macomb in his landscape designs. Bednarowski incorporates a wide variety of perennials in his designs, as they not only add multi-season interest, but also are relatively easy to care for. “Perennials, as a whole, do not need a lot of maintenance. They pop up as the weather changes, and the only thing they need is to be cut back in the fall, with the exception of ornamental grasses … (which) look nice in the winter,” said Bednarowski, who suggests mixing up spring, summer and fall blooming perennials for an affordable, low-maintenance design. While perennials may need less overall attention, that doesn’t mean that no work is involved. “Low maintenance doesn’t mean no maintenance. Everybody’s idea of low maintenance is different,” said Charmaine Stogner, a landscape designer at Ray Wiegand’s. “My idea of low maintenance means trimming and fertilizing once a year, no bugs, no worms or disease, or no fruit or flower petals to clean up.” To achieve a fairly low-maintenance garden, it takes some planning and preparation, from prepping the soil and borders to choosing plants that will thrive in a yard’s sunny and shady areas, to picking the proper mulch, and for those who don’t mind a bit more work, choosing colorful annuals to offset perennial garden fixtures. “Prepping the yard is more critical than what you plant and where,” said Mulligan, adding that if you want your plants to thrive, you’ve got to start with good soil. “Basically, getting rid of weeds is the first thing,” said Stogner. If it’s an area that’s never been a bed before, she said, it’s a good idea to “use weed killer, or weeds or sod will grow back; (however) you have to wait two weeks before planting. “Using Preen every few weeks, depending on how much water the plants receive, to control weeds. … Preen helps keep weed seeds from germinating — 90 percent of weeds come from seed,” said Stogner. After everything is free of weeds, it’s time to start prepping the soil. “You want to go out and check the soil to make sure it’s well-drained, not sandy or clay. If that’s the case, add topsoil and roto-till,” said Kevin Daniels, “flower guy” and general manager of Hessel’s Greenhouse in Shelby Township. If your soil is still less than desirable, you may also need to add compost or peat moss, which can help break up clay soil and retain water in sandy soil. “If they can explain their soil, we can tell them how to amend it,” said Mulligan. Once the soil is prepared, it is essential to put in borders and add mulch in order to keep sod, weeds and bugs at bay. Stogner suggests using commercial grade vinyl or metal edging, or wallstone for the lowest maintenance approach to borders. However, when it comes to mulch, said Stogner, it’s better to go with shredded Cyprus or cedar mulch rather than the lower maintenance stone or rubber mulch — “plastics leaching out of rubber mulch can actually harm plants.” “Decorative stone will help keep weeds out and retain water, but it has no benefit to the soil or plants,” said Mulligan, noting that Cyprus and cedar are also natural bug repellents. To get the most out of your mulch, “put 2-3 inches of shredded mulch down and compact it so it intertwines and forms like a carpet and keeps weeds out. It just needs to be pulled apart to plant … (and) freshened with loose mulch,” said Stogner. When it comes to planting, it’s all about location, location, location. “Start by figuring out sun and shade requirements,” Daniels said, noting that “a lot of plants are easy to grow” — if planted in the right spot. To determine what to plant and where, Mulligan suggests “taking pictures of your garden to familiarize yourself with the direction of your home. You can then show them to someone who knows plants, and they can help determine what would be right for your particular setting.” Some easy to grow perennials include ornamental grasses, hostas, day lilies, yews, Spirea burning bushes, lilacs, carpet and knock-out roses, tulips and daffodils, daisies and black-eyed Susans, dogwoods and witch hazel, to name a few — ornamental grasses, which come in shades of blue, green, red and black, are considered the lowest maintenance, while Stella De Oro day lilies are popular due to their long flowering season. “It’s also important to consider each plant’s mature size,” Stogner said. “Depending on the size you buy, your plant may look a little sparse right now, but everything grows.” While annuals may take a bit more work, they are a good way to fill in those sparse spots, said Daniels. “Impatiens and begonias are good in shady areas and require minimal cleaning. Petunias, salvias … don’t require deadheading and thrive in sunny spots.” Stop by your local garden center for more information: Hessel’s, 14497 23 Mile; Mulligan’s, 8215 Elizabeth Lake; Ray Wiegand’s, 47747 Romeo Plank. Lone Star Landscaping can be reached at (586) 991-0210. You can reach Staff Writer Christa Buchanan at cbuchanan@candgnews.com or at (586) 498-1061. |
