24. FLOWER GARDENING TIPS—WHY BOTHER?

When I was in college years ago, I studied landscape architecture at the University of Hawaii and lived on an organic farm. They were two distinctly different worlds, and I was pulled in both directions. In class, I learned about design styles, theory, materials, and functional requirements. On our working farm, I amended the soil, planted crops, and dealt with pests and wildlife. It was theory versus practice, and neither side seemed to recognize the other. Michael Pollan, the author and journalist, described the situation well when he wrote in the New York Times Book Review magazine in 1991: “I was perplexed at how few of the more literary garden books bothered to talk about so basic a gardening operation as digging, or even planting—there was little about the processes of gardening. . . . Everybody seemed to jump right from wintertime sketches and plans to the glorious blooms of July.”

Luckily, times have changed. Now our attention goes to the soil and native plants as much as to design and layout. It’s a combination that allows you to create a striking landscape and feed pollinators at the same time. In fact, this “hands in the dirt” mindset is almost a rule for all great garden-making and design endeavors. For flower gardening it starts with a Nature-based approach. If you know about a flower’s likes and dislikes, the soil and climate it prefers, and how to plant it properly, you are on the road to success.

Why bother with all this? Because flower gardening is one way to bond with Nature and slow down your busy life. You become more observant of Nature’s processes and, in so doing, become part of it yourself. And the more you know, the more you can enjoy the menial tasks that are required. Soon you will discover that your hard work will be rewarded. Nature will pay you back handsomely—in flowers! What a great way to begin, or continue on, your gardening journey.

Sturdy tools help make gardening enjoyable. Buy top-quality tools that will last a long time. It makes all the difference! Use your foot to exert power on a spade. This is important to making a clean plant bed edge, as shown here. Insert straight down. A spade works better than a half-moon edger, which does not dig deep enough to create a suitable edge. The shovel or spade should be kept sharp to make it easy to cut through soil and plant matter.

North American native Gloriosa daisies (Rudbeckia hirta) are a short-lived perennial related to black-eyed Susans. They are a lovely wildflower with yellow blooms and a touch of rust in the dark center. Gloriosa daisies bloom in late mid- to late summer; they love the sun. They often seed themselves. Gloriosa daisies grow to be 12 to 36 inches tall. Zones 3–8. Photo by Laura Hendrix McKillop.

The deep orange-and-yellow blossoms of the annual ‘Luscious Citrus Blend’ lantana blend with French marigold ‘Safari Yellow.’ The silvery leaves of dusty miller add contrast. All are suited to high temperatures and hot sun. Deer resistant.

Tutti Frutti ‘Apricot Delight’ yarrow (Achillea millefolium ‘Apricot Delight’) is a tough perennial that loves sun and stands up to heat and humidity. A fast grower, it reaches 18 to 22 inches tall and wide. It tolerates dry soils. This perennial’s showy, umbel flower clusters of apricot, pink, and deep rose bloom from summer into fall. The foliage is soft and fernlike. Yarrow attracts butterflies to the garden and is deer and rabbit resistant. Zones 3–9.

Water in early morning or late afternoon because that is when plants do not have to deal with the heat and can really absorb the water. And it is the water-efficient thing to do—if you water during the hottest part of the day, up to 30 percent of the water simply evaporates from the heat.