Equipment and Construction News

The drip line of your roof is an important factor in locating foundation plants even in regions which do not get much or any snow and ice. Falling rain should reach the plants, so, except in unusual cases, they should be placed at least a foot beyond the drip line. At first they may look as though they were sitting out there by themselves, but in time, as the branches spread and the plants get larger, they will gradually reach back to the house and occupy all the space provided for them.

Plants under Eaves

When under unusual circumstances, you have to place plants under the broad eaves of a mod em type house, it is perfectly all right to do so if you make sure of a constant and sufficient supply of water for them. Do not wait until the soil is bone dry before applying water; set up a regular schedule of watering (adjusted to the weather, of course) so that the plants will never be in danger of injury from drought.

Mulch

If you do not choose to maintain a ground cover under the plants, the next best thing is a layer of mulch which will keep the soil cooler in hot months and keep a supply of moisture in the ground over a longer period. This practice is absolutely essential to success in regions where several months of hot, dry weather are the rule.

The temptation to grow flowers in the midst of the foundation planting is widespread. My own view is that theoretically and ideally there should be no flowers in the public area, including the foundation planting. However, the desire for flowers is so strong that it is next to impossible to convince the average home owner that he should not have some annuals or perennials in his front yard.

If you feel that you must do that, one permissible way to do it.

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How hardy a plant is happens to be an interesting question.

This important consideration in selecting varieties of plants and growing them successfully is difficult to define accurately. A “hardy” plant is usually interpreted as having the ability to live through a cold winter. Perennial plants are often classified as hardy, half-hardy, and tender. But a plant may also be hardy or not in a Texas desert, or in the humid heat of southern Florida.

To Northern gardeners, hardiness means many different things. It is more than a matter of how low the temperature will go, and how long it will stay there. It may depend upon the amount of moisture in the soil, particularly in the fall and early winter, or on the make-up of the soil, or the age of the plant. A plant’s location – whether it is protected against a sudden deep freeze, or whipping winds, or freakish hot winter sun – can also affect its survival. Or a vine may be hardy enough to live through your winter, yet fail to flower because early autumn or late spring cold kills the flower buds.

So any plant or vine may be hardy for me but not for you; hardy this winter, but not the next. To keep on the safe side, you can stick to the popular stand-bys in your area. But that kind of safety makes one garden look just like another. If you never take a chance, you won’t know the glowing pleasure of growing something new and different.

There are several ways to get information about hardiness and methods of winter protection. The “Plant Hardiness Zone Map” published by the Agricultural Research Service of the U. S. Department of Agriculture and the American Horticultural Society, and made freely available, is most helpful. Do an online search for the current map. Each of its hardiness zones is subdivided according to varying minimum temperatures within the zone. With the map are notes on other factors – frosts, sudden freezes, variations in rainfall, humidity, duration and intensity of sunlight, soil composition, even plant maturity – that contribute to hardiness.

Another invaluable source of information is your County Agricultural Agent, who, as part of the State Agricultural Department is particularly knowledgeable about local conditions and irrigation checklist. Botanical gardens and horticultural societies are an additional source of reliable information, and so is a reliable local nurseryman.

Basically, sound cultural practices will increase the variety of vines you can consider hardy in your garden. Except for minimum temperatures, you can change or improve most factors that contribute to hardiness. You can water or irrigate during drought, for example, or build up your soil to promote plant health. And you can protect plants against many winter severities.

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