New England Flower Show
Water, water, everywhere. Quiet water, rushing water, spouting water, water cascading down rain chains. There were ponds and waterfalls and fountains at the New England Spring Flower Show in Boston organized by the Massachusetts Horticultural Society.
Sometime over 20 years ago, I was reading a book by the British wit and gardener Beverley Nichols, who said that water in the garden was absolutely essential. I thought the idea was ridiculous at the time. Who could arrange to have water in their garden?
Apparently his view has come to dominate the garden world, and I have to agree that water in the garden is a delight. The question is how to do it. I am in the midst of trying to answer that, and I am determined to get my own water feature this summer.
Tom Frost of MetroWest WaterGardens had two exhibits at the Flower Show, one big and one small, and lots of information for people who were contemplating a water garden.
Everyone in the audience at his presentation seemed to be interested in having fish in their pond. In that case, he said, the pond needs to have a minimum depth of two feet, to overwinter the fish. Making it substantially deeper was of limited benefit.
In the discussion about the beauties of gold fish in the pond, all I could think of was marauding blue herons who seem to know just when someone is putting fish into a pond. Tom was ahead of me. He talked about the strategies of protecting fish from predators by building a fish cave or overhangs as part of the pond design.
For those who were interested in water plants, he pointed out that that different plants need different depths of water. This requires that a pond essentially have steps or planting shelves to accommodate the different plant types. These shelves also provide a safety feature for people who fall into the pond, as well as animals of the domestic and wild varieties.
As you might imagine, it takes some management to set up a good system that keeps the water free of algae, and healthy and aerated for the fish and the plants. This means an adequate pump and filter, which means access to electricity, as well as careful management of plants and fish to help control algae. “Don’t overfeed the fish!” he said. Repeatedly.
Tom’s display included a big pond, all beautifully landscaped with interesting plants, but he also showed a small ‘Pondless Waterfall’, which is essentially a recirculating system for a small, but very naturalistic waterfall.
One of the delights of a water garden is the sound of the water, but I overheard one unhappy woman complaining, “Can you imagine listening to that noise all day?” I guess you better know your own tolerance for the music of babbling brooks.
Even more than the aesthetics of water in the garden, gardeners are always worried about the amount of water. It always seems to be too much or too little. The Massachusetts Horticultural Society (MHS) Master Gardeners had an exhibit with suggestions for handling both problems.
Xeriscaping is choosing plants that are drought tolerant. This doesn’t mean choosing plants that like or require a dry site; it means choosing plants that don’t mind long periods without rain. For example, daffodils and hyacinths need water in the spring and fall, but long dry summers usually do no damage. An established planting of astilbe, which is happy in a damp location will do fine in a dry summer. Spruce and ash trees can also do fine in dry years.
Although there is a whole list of plants that can survive dry seasons once they are established, it is always vital to irrigate new plantings.
Adding compost that helps hold water when it comes is beneficial, as is 2 or 3 inches of mulch.
If you must water or irrigate, do so early in the morning or after 8 pm. You don’t want all your valuable water to just evaporate in the mid-day sun. Nor do you want to water your driveway. Place your sprinklers carefully.
Another technique for conserving water is to collect the run off from your roof in a rain barrel. Rainwater is soft and has not been treated with chlorine so it is good for your plants. You can make your own using a food grade plastic barrel, or buy one from a garden center; the prices range around $100. A barrel will last for many years, especially if it is stored out of the weather during the winter.
In addition to providing good and free water for the garden during a dry season, a rain barrel helps prevent damage from run off during heavy rains.
The Master Gardeners also gave directions for building a ‘rain garden’. Rain gardens are a way to direct and control rain run-off, keeping water away from your foundation, but keeping it on your property to recharge ground water. Rain gardens serve the municipality because they lessen the load on storm drains. I will talk more about rain gardens later in the spring.
Flower shows are not the only place to get good information and inspiration as the garden season approaches. Our own Western Massachusetts Master Gardeners are planning a symposium entitled Partners in Paradise: The Art of Edible Landscaping scheduled for Saturday, March 29 from 9 to 1:30 pm at Frontier Regional High School in South Deerfield. The cost is $20 for a variety of presentations on growing herbs, grapes, viburnams and more. Save the date.
March 15, 2008