How to create your own dry garden

The four boulders represent the four islands of Japan

What we, in the US,  like to call "Zen Garden" is actually called "Dry Garden" in Japanese culture.  It is a low water option for any gardener who desires a simple, peaceful place to relax and meditate.  Creating a dry garden can be a highly refined art, with very precise requirements for material and placement, but beginners can achieve a similar affect by observing some basics:

1. Decide how large you want to make your dry garden. Determine your available space. Are you going to make a garden that fills up part of your backyard, or are you going to start with a dry garden to place on your desk?  The beauty of a dry garden is that it can be any size you wish.  The steps are the same, the scale will just be different. 
2. Create a border to contain the sand and/or gravel. Sand or gravel generally form the matrix of a dry garden.  You want your dry garden to look sharp, clean, and uncluttered.  To keep the material from spreading and looking sloppy you must have borders that will prevent the sand/gravel from escaping If you are making a large garden, bamboo is one of the prettiest materials to build your border with.  If you don't have bamboo, you can also use 2" x 4" pieces of lumber, old railroad ties, or any other type of wood.  You can even build a low rock wall.   If you are making a desktop dry garden, you can create it out of almost any container that will fit on your desk.
3. Nail, screw, or glue together your border. After you have completed your form, you can decorate the wood by painting, staining, or varnishing it.  
4. Weed control. Dry gardens receive much of their appeal from their cleanliness. Keeping out weeds is a must for outdoor gardens.   Thoroughly treat the area with a weed control.  As a precautionary measure, you may wish to also lay down some landscaping tarp to prevent the re-emergence of any weeds that you missed.  Allow two weeks to elapse before planting anything in this area.
   
5. Fill the form to the top with sand or gravel.  You will want very fine sand or gravel.   Pick a sand that is visually appealing if you are placing it on the surface of the garden. Spread the sand or gravel evenly and as level as possible. For a small desktop garden, you might be able to buy sand in small bags at a local pet shop or aquarium supply store. For larger gardens, call the local rock shop, quarry, or landscaping supply company.
6. Put selected features in your dry garden to set a visually stimulating theme.  Place features  off-center and partially submerged for the best effect. dry gardens generally include natural items made of wood, rock and vegetation, but don’t be afraid to add statues or other additions. Just don’t clutter your dry garden; use features sparingly. Remember, you want it to be peaceful and simple. Make sure that the feng shui is in check with your karma and dharma before enjoying your dry garden!  As with most things in life, balance is key.  Some features that look nice in dry gardens include:
•  Water features
• Boulders
• Mossy logs
• Plants.  In particular, evergreens or bonsai plants for smaller gardens
• Moss
• Rocks with interesting shapes, textures, and/or colors
• Statues
• Lanterns
• Pottery
7. Rake the sand or gravel in long, curving strokes to represent water ripples. You can use a number of patterns to accentuate your garden, and the nice thing is that you can change it as many times as you like! 
8. Enjoy many relaxing hours your dry garden!

November featured plants for Oak Ridge Shrubbery

Holly Fern

Holly Fern
Cyrtomium falcatum 'Rochfordianum'

Holly Ferns are a coarse-textured; but handsome evergreen fern.  Holly ferns are great for growing indoors, not only because of their glossy green fronds, but because they withstand dry air, drafts, and low light levels. Holly ferns are native to Asia but they also do very well outside here in NC giving your shade garden green foliage all year long. 2’ -3’ T’ 24” W


1 gal $10.49

Mardi Gras Abelia

Mardi Gras Abelia
Abelia x ‘Mardi Gras’

The dramatic coloring of the Mardi Gras Abelia will make your garden sing. The leaves are green and white with a blush of soft salmon pink. This semi-evergreen shrub sparkles with white flowers from spring to fall.  3’ T x 5’ W.  Full Sun. 

3 gal $27.99

Limelight Hydrangea tree form

Limelight Hydrangea
Hydrangea paniculata  ‘Limelight’
Vigorous, spreading deciduous shrub with ovate, pointed, toothed green foliage.  In late summer, outstanding bright lime green flowers hold their fresh color right until autumn.  No need to add any special amendments to the soil to achieve its beauty.  Ideal for mass planting, accent, foundation, or use in the shrub border.  Outstanding for cutting and drying for long lasting arrangements.  Part Sun to shade.
3 gal $31.99                Tree form 15 gal $159.99

Cleopatra

Fall Blooming Camellias
Camellia sasanqua
Evergreen with beautiful, shiny, green leaves, these gorgeous shrubs bloom from fall through early winter.  The bloom colors range from white, pink, to hot pink, to Christmas red (which of course blooms during the holiday season).  These timeless Southern favorites add elegance to any garden and a welcome splash of color during the time of year when most plants are dormant. 

The hybrids vary from 6-12 feet tall, so be sure to choose the appropriate size for your space. They are fabulous alone or in a grouping.  Pictured here are Cleopatra (light pink), Winter's Snowman (double white), and William Lanier Hunt (double hot pink/red).

3 gal $29.99            7 gal $69.99           15 gal $249.99

Winter's Snowman

William Lanier Hunt

Dogwoods
Cornus florida ‘Cherokee Princess’/’Cherolee Brave’ or Cornus kousa’Prophet’/Satomi’

The dogwood is the state flower, the flower color range from white to cream to pink to mauve to red!  They are most recognized for their spring blooms but their fall foliage is equally beautiful. Plant one now and enjoy the leaves and then in the spring you will be thrilled! 

7 gal $64.99               10 gal $134.99              15 gal $184.99

Golden King Aucuba

Golden King Aucuba
Aucuba japonica ‘Golden King’

An evergreen shrub with rather large leathery leaves which in this clone are very heavily splashed with yellow. A great shrub to brighten up dark shady corners of the garden where the soil is moist but well-drained. Aucuba japonica is native to Japan. Shade loving.  8’ T x 8’ W 

3 gal $29.99

Elegans Dwarf Norway Spruce

Elegans Dwarf Norway Spruce
Picea abies ‘Elegance’
A beautiful textured evergreen with delicate light green needles, slow grower.  Great for smaller spaces or container gardening.  This plant will reach 5’ T x 5’ W .  Can handle morning sun or dappled shade.

Gingko Tree

Gingko Tree
Gingko biloba ‘Princeton Sentry’/’’Shagri-la’

These special trees offer a unique leaf shape often depicted in asian art.  Their green leaves turn bright yellow in fall, these are all males so they bear no fruit (too smelly), The ginkos are quite special and when more mature they typically drop all their leaves in a 48 hours period, so the tree rains leaves!!

15 gal $229.99

Pruning

Hey!  Hold on there...Just because some guys with a truck are pruning your neighbor's trees does not necessarily mean they know what they are doing.  But you could know what you are doing by learning just a few easy facts.  It doesn't take a degree in horticulture to prune properly, but it does take the proper equipment and some basic understanding of the rules of pruning.

First, the proper equipment.  You need sharp pruners or loppers.  As long as they are sharp, most pruners or loppers will do, but the best brands are Felco, Fiskar, Bahco, and Corona.

Next, the technique.  Cut all branches cleanly with no jagged edges.  Prune just after a branch or bud and if next to the trunk, prune flush to the trunk.

Warning:  Do NOT use  tar or any product on the wound.  Mother Nature will heal it up all on her own.  The use of these products will kill the cambium layer of the tree in that area. The cambium layer is the area just below the bark that divides to produce wood or xylem on the inner side toward the center of the tree. Leave the wound open to air.






Light Pruning
Trees and shrubs can be lightly pruned any time of the year.  If it is a flowering tree or shrub, prune it right after it blooms.  If you find disease in a plant or insect infestation, wipe down your tools with alcohol before moving onto the next shrub.

You prune to:

• Help shape the plant (but try to stay with the natural shape of the plant)
• Help balance the shape of a plant
• Remove a weird branch that is sticking out
• Remove dead branches.  Dead branches can encourage disease and pest infestation, so they need to be removed as soon as possible.
• Removing crossing branches.

If you have to prune to keep a shrub from growing, it has been planted it in the wrong area of your garden.  It should be moved, but if that is not possible, try pruning it down into the middle of the plant as opposed to using hedge trimmers, which only prune the very ends of the branches.  There are enough cultivars of various plants on the market today so that you should be able to find a plant in the size and shape you desire without having to force it to your will.  Buying a Gold Mop cypress and trying to keep it as a 3'x'3 mound is like buying a Great Dane and trying to dwarf it because you want a small dog.

Hard pruning of Crape Myrtles is not only ugly, but an unsound horticultural practice.  It promotes unhealthy sucker growth and exposes the tree to disease and insect infestation.

And please, unless you are Pearl Fryar, try to stay with the natural shape of the plant.

Halloween's coming...plant a magic tree to attract fairies instead of ghouls!

Cottingley by Liz AKA Louvre89

 Halloween?  Fairies?  Magic?   Okay....maybe there really isn't any such thing as fairies (but then again, who can really say for certain?).  But there is such thing as Halloween and I think most people would agree that there is a certain magic about a tree.  Have you ever gone to sit under a tree to think or read or do some creative endeavor?  Trees have a way of not only drawing in our eye, but our person as well.  They are a balm to the soul in a day of hectic schedules and stressful lives, and that, in and of itself, is magical.

 

Since our earliest days, humans have venerated the tree and many cultures believed that trees have magical powers or were home to gods and spirits.  Tree worship (for those of you who love to learn a new word) is called dendrolatry, vestiges of which can still be found in many religions today.  Humans have always felt a strong connection to trees...we use them for shelter, cooking, warmth, shade, medicine, and food.  Even when speaking of our own ancestry, we refer to our "family tree." 

 

Just for fun, this October, plant a tree that ancient civilizations have held in high esteem.  Who knows?  This might just be the year you find fairies in your garden?

Some trees that have been venerated throughout human history:

  

Lebanon Cedar (Tree of God):  This beautiful tree has a rich and ancient history; the ancient Egyptians used its resin in their mummification process, the Phoenicians used lumber from it to build ships, palaces, homes, and temples, and the Sumerians designated Lebanese Cedar groves to be dwellings of the gods.  

 

Oak:  The Celts believed that the oak was the king of the forest and the Native Americans have a sacred oak that is over 500 years old.  Oaks are valued for their immense stature and canopy.  Carry an acorn in your pocket for good luck!  

 

Maple:  Swiss folklore tells us that a group of dwarfs who used to sit on the branch of a Maple tree to watch the farmers make hay. One night some mischievous boys cut through the branch, just enough to make it dangerous to sit on. When the dwarfs came to sit on the branch they fell to the ground. The people laughed at them and the dwarfs never returned to the place.  

 

Hawthorn:  The Hawthorn in ancient mythology is said to have been created from lightning and Germans used wood in funeral pyres as it was thought to assist the souls of the dead in ascension.
The Greeks and Romans saw the Hawthorn as symbol of hope and marriage, but in medieval Europe it was associated with witchcraft and considered unlucky. It was used for protection, love and marriage spells.
According to a Scottish legend the Hawthorn was a special place where Fairies met. A circle was drawn around an ancient tree by young boys who were about to plow a field. The plow was not to enter the circle in order to preserve the tree. 
 

Hazel:  According to Celtic legends the nuts of the hazel tree contained wisdom. Salmon of Knowledge is said to have eaten the 9 nuts of poetic wisdom dropped into its sacred pool, from the hazel tree growing beside it. Each nut eaten by the salmon became a spot on its skin.  Druids were also said to chewed hazelnuts for wisdom.  It was believed that the powers of the hazel were strongest on All Hallow's Eve (AKA Halloween).

In Europe and North America, hazel is commonly used for water-witching, the art of finding water with a forked stick.   
 

Pine:  As a symbol of royalty the pine was associated with the Greek goddess Pitthea, and also with the Dionysus/Bacchus mythology surrounding the vine and wine making, probably as a fertility symbol. Worshipers of Dionysus often carried a pine-cone-tipped wand as a fertility symbol and the image of the pine cone has also been found on ancient amulets as a symbol of fertility. 

 

For the Romans the pine was an object of worship during the spring equinox festival of Cybele and Attis. As an evergreen tree the pine would also have symbolized immortality.

 

The Scots pine groves or 'shaman forests' scattered over the dry grasslands of eastern Siberia were considered sacred by the Buriats, a Mongolian people living around the southern end of Lake Baikal. These groves were to be approached and entered in silence and reverence, respectful of the gods and spirits of the wood.

Druids used to light large bonfires of Scots pine at the winter solstice to celebrate the passing of the seasons and to draw back the sun. Glades of Scots pines were also decorated with lights and shiny objects, the tree covered in stars being a representation of the Divine Light. It is easy to see how these rituals have given rise to the latter day Yule log and Christmas tree customs.  A persistent theme in the folklore of Scots pine is their use as markers in the landscape. In the Highlands there is a recurrent theme that they were used to mark burial places of warriors, heroes and chieftains.
 

Juniper:  Juniper was burned in ancient Sumeria and Babylonia as sacrifice to the gods. It was sacred to Inanna and to her later counterpart Ishtar. In Europe, Juniper branches were smoldered and carried around fields to protect livestock. The Germans believed that a goblin called Frau Wachholder, lived in Junipers.  If one's property had been stolen, she could be invoked and it was said she would make thieves return the goods they had stolen.
 Juniper was widely used by different Native American groups. In the language of flowers Juniper symbolizes Perfect loveliness; Succour; Protection. 

 

Evergreens:  Long used to celebrate Christmas (thanks to Martin Luther), these trees have a history that goes back to the Roman holiday, Saturnalia.  

 

 Yew:  Yews are one of the oldest living plants in the world, giving them a secure place in human folklore.  Locals, in Derbyshire, England, claim that Robin Hood married Maid Marian under their 1,400 year old yew tree. The ancient yew forest in Kingley Vale, West Sussex, is said to have been planted by the men of Chichester after they fought off Viking marauders in 859 AD. The yew in Llanafan Fawr churchyard in Wales is said to be over 2,000 years old, and remains of a village the same age can be seen around it.
Many myths and legends are linked to specific yew trees and places which still exist. The Ancient Yew Group, a body devoted to protecting and recording British and other yew trees, records many of these fascinating tales..

 

Plus a few additional shrubs and perennials that may bring a little magic to your yard.

Laurel:  The laurel was sacred to the sun god Apollo in memory of the fate of Daphne, daughter of the river god Peneus. Daphne was fleeing from Apollo, but was about to be overtaken when her father changed her into a laurel tree.   In Pliny's Natural History (AD 77), it is said that laurel guards the doorways of great men's houses, and is never struck by lightning. In English folklore, it was believed that bay in the garden was thought to protect the house from lightning and keep away witches, the Devil, or (these days) bad luck.

 

Holly:  In Celtic mythology the Holly King was said to rule over the half of the year from the summer to the winter solstice, at which time the Oak King defeated the Holly King to rule for the time until the summer solstice again. The Holly King was depicted as a powerful giant of a man covered in holly leaves and branches, and wielding a holly bush as a club. He may well have been the same archetype on which the Green Knight of "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" was based, and to whose challenge Gawain rose during the Round Table's Christmas celebrations. 

 

Pansy: The pansy is mostly associated with love, being sacred to St Valentine, and is sometimes known as 'heartsease' or 'love-in-idleness'. If used to cover the eyes of someone while asleep, the dreamer may fall in love with the first person they see. In Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream, Oberon, king of the fairies, squeezed 'heartsease' into Titania's eyes so that she fell in love with Bottom who was dressed as an ass.

 

Come by Oak Ridge Shrubbery to see our beautiful selection of trees.  We'll be happy to make suggestions, give you planting tips, or even come out to plant them for you!

Want to learn more about tree planting?  You can learn all about the planting and subsequent care of trees by attending this workshop led by Horticulture Agent and Certified Arborist, Mark Danieley. Class is free, but registration is required. Call 336-570-6740. (Repeat of 9:00 AM class)

Event Location
Agriculture Building auditorium
209 North Graham-Hopedale Road
Burlington, NC 27217

Contact

Christine Stecker at (336) 570-6740

How many gardeners does it take to screw in a bulb?

One....YOU.   And you don't have to screw it in...just dig a nice hole and drop it in, pointed side up.  Yep, it's time to plant those bulbs, if you haven't already, for colorful winter and spring blooms.   Bulbs are simple to plant and pack a huge punch in late winter and early spring when everything else is still dead.  You can even buy bulb hole diggers to make the job just that much easier.    Just be certain that your soil is properly conditioned and well drained, otherwise, your bulbs will rot over the winter.  Bulbs also love bright, sunny spots.  For a  natural look, plant them in clumps of concentrated color.


Here's more for the honey-do list for October:

• If you have not taken care of your lawn, do it now while you can...time is running out.
• Mulch around tender plants to protect them during the winter.  As a general rule, double ground hardwood mulch works the best for trees and shrubs, while pine bark works better for perennials and small plants.  Make sure you turn the hardwood mulch over and water it for a couple of days after you put it down so that it does not heat up too much and cook your tree.
• It is still a good time to plant trees, shrubs, and woody perennials, just remember, they still need water during the cooler months.  Read "How to install a plant in Guilford County" for tips on planting in this area.
• And don't forget your ponds!  Give your pond a good cleaning, if it needs it and start weaning your fish from feedings.  As the weather cools, their food needs will decrease.  Also make sure your pond is at least three feet deep in the middle so that your fish have some place to go during the winter.  As long as your pond is deep enough, Koi can survive the winter quite nicely!

 

Get your lawn ready for fall grass planting

As counter-intuitive as it seems, the warm months are not the best time to plant grass seeds.  Grasses have a shallow root system that takes time to establish.  The long, hot, sunny days of summer can not only damage your tender, new grass seedlings, but they also contribute little to  root growth.

Root growth most often takes place during the winter when everything looks "dead."  Truth be told, while it appears to our eyes that "nothing is happening", that could not be further from the truth.  While our plants are dormant above ground, they are busy underground, using stored up energy from the summer to establish healthy root systems.

Most grasses have shallow roots.

So too with grass.  Many people find that they are having to reseed their lawns each spring because the beautiful, rich lawns they planted the year before have not survived.  This presents a tremendous waste of money and effort.  The best thing to do is endure the ugly lawn during the summer and plant your grass seedlings in the fall.  The pay-off will be worth it when you not only have a fabulously lovely lawn, but one that is hardy and more weather resistant.

 What you can do to prepare your lawn for fall planting:

1. Test your soil's acid level.  Acidic soil (or soil with a low pH) is problematic for grass and if you find that your soil has a high acid level, this can be easily remedied with pelletized lime.  For best results, thoroughly mix your soil with the lime and a good fertilizer.  You almost can't use too much lime.
2. Aerate the soil.
   
3. Spread the grass seed evenly across your soil.
4. Lightly rake the area to get the best possible seed and soil contact.
5. Cover the area with straw, to hold in moisture.  There is no need to remove the straw once the seeds germinate.
6. Keep the top half inch of the soil moist. Until the seeds germinate and emerge, it is necessary to keep the top half inch moist.  This may require watering daily.
7. You may begin mowing your grass as soon as it is long enough to mow, but be careful not to mow more than 1/3 of the top growth in a single cutting.  For best results, plant the grass early enough so that it gets mowed 2-3 times before the cold sets in.

For more information, the Agricultural Cooperative Extension in Burlington is offering a free Lawn Care workshop that is open to the public:

	Lawn Care workshop August 26th, 2010 @ 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM Burlington, NC
	It's prime time for lawn care. Horticulture Agent, Mark Danieley shows and tells all about establishing and maintaining healthy turf in your landscape. FREE. Registration required. 336-570-6740 Class will be repeated at 7PM Event Location Agriculture Building auditorium 209 North Graham-Hopedale Road Burlington, NC 27217 Contact Christine Stecker at (336) 570-6740

Plant now for spectacular fall color!

Wildfire Black Gum
Nyssa sylvatica "Wildfire"

A beautiful shade tree with good spring color; the new foliage ends are red. 

This tree is one of the showiest of all the fall reds, it will stop you in your tracks! 

Not to be confused with the messy and annoying gum trees that drop those annoying gum balls. 

Full sun or part shade, with grow 40’ T x 20’ W 

This is a perfect alternative to a maple to give your garden more variety.

7 gallon $ 79.99

Wildfire Black Gum

Korean Stewartia
Stewartia koreana

This gorgeous specimen is somewhat pyramidal in it growth habits. 

It will reach 30’ T but only 15’-20’ W. 

These trees boast dark green leaves that turn to lovely shades of orange, red and purple in fall. 

Over a period from June to July, this tree is decorated with

lovely, pure white, yellow-centered blossoms, 

three inches across and flattened, appearing much like a single camellia flower. 

The bark of Korean Stewartia is probably the most outstanding characteristic, 

with orange/brown patches showing through the flaking, gray bark. Full Sun.

15 gallon  $ 184.99

Korean Stewartia

Weigela Rubidor 

Weigela Florida 'rubidor' 

Put on your sunglasses!  

Bright, neon foliage and the ruby-red flowers 

will make this a real attention grabber in your landscape. 

They will go 4’ T x 4’ W. 

The leaves turn orange/red throughout the summer 

and they flower for 2-3 months! 

Full sun or ½ day of shade, 

makes this a great understory shrub 

or it can be used as a colorful backdrop. 

3 gal. $ 23.99

Weigela 'Rubidor'

Hot! Hot! Hot!

Don't let the sun be the only sizzle in your yard!  Try adding some splashes of bright summer colors with these gorgeous plants!

Lebanon Cedar, the Tree of God

He plants trees to benefit another generation.

Caecilius Statius

There are some trees that you don't plant for yourself; you plant them to leave a legacy.  The Lebanon Cedar (Cedrus libani) is one of those trees. This beautiful tree has a rich and ancient history; the ancient Egyptians used its resin in their mummification process, the Phoenicians used lumber from it to build ships, palaces, homes, and temples, and the Sumerians designated Lebanese Cedar groves to be dwellings of the gods.

Unfortunately, groves of these amazing trees have been nearly wiped out and two species of the population are now extinct, with six more species either threatened or at risk.  Today, very few of the original, older trees remain, but extensive conservation programs, in Lebanon, are replanting and protecting new groves.

The Lebanon Cedar is an evergreen conifer that grows up to 40 feet tall with a thick trunk that can reach 8 feet or more in diameter.  The canopy begins as a conical shape, but with age, becomes broad and wide-spreading.  The cones are produced every other year and measure approximately 3-5" long and 1.5-3" wide unlike typical evergreen cones, they are smooth and solid.

Oak Ridge Shrubbery is proud to offer saplings of these special trees for sale for a limited time.  Help restore a precious resource so that it can be enjoyed by generations to come.

Other unique and wonderful legacy trees to plant for future generations to enjoy are:

• Ogon Dawn Metasequoia
• Monkey Puzzle Tree
• Camperdown Elm
• Deodor Cedar

Got questions?  Need advice?  Or maybe you just feel like spending an afternoon looking at beautiful plants and getting ideas for what to put in your garden?  Just give us a call or drop by.   We'd love to see you!  And don't forget to check out our website for special deals!

(336) 643-0081

1016 Hwy 68 N.

Oak Ridge, NC

We're right at the intersection of 68 and Edgefield drive!

Working with water

Going natural

All gardeners know that to have beautiful plants, a little rain must fall, just so long as it's the right amount of rain.  Water can make or break a landscape design...too much, and you end up with boggy areas or muddy run-offs.  Too little and you run the risk of crisp frying your valuable investment unless you invest lots of time, energy and money into getting your plants the water they need.

In the Guilford County region, we've had more than our fair share of horrendous drought conditions.  Who could forget the two year water famine we endured during the summers of 2007 and 2008?  Water was rationed, lots of money was spent on irrigation,  and still, many people's landscaping investments were lost.  It was the worst recorded drought in 110 years.  But with every cloud, there truly is a silver lining.  The drought caused many people to rethink their ideas about what should be planted in their landscape.  New attention was brought to native plants, that thrive in this area and xeriscaping.  Xeriscaping is "a landscaping approach that uses small amounts of water but maintains a traditional look" (Xeriscape North Carolina by Dr. Douglas F. Welsh President, National Zeriscape Council, Inc. NCSU).  Xeriscaping does not mean you will end up with a yard full of white gravel and cacti; there are many local plants that are lovely and will not just survive our harsh, roasting summers, but thrive in them.  Your local garden center can advise you on which plants are native to the area and what will work best for your landscape design.  For starters, however, you can consult the State Agricultural Extension's list of drought tolerant plants to get some good ideas.

For further reading about xeriscaping and xerigardening in Guilford county, please check out the great tips offered by the NCSU Cooperative Extension.

 Remember, the mighty Grand Canyon was created by just a little trickle of water

Yes, the drought was awful, however, this is North Carolina, and as the saying goes "If you don't like the weather here, just give it a few minutes....it'll change" and according to the almanac, we can expect this summer to be cooler and wetter than normal.  That's right, no drought this year (so they say).  So all the people who have been fighting runoff-induced erosion, bogging, and other excessive water issues will want to look into their options, this summer.  For many, their first instinct is to cover problem areas with paving or install drains, but that's not necessarily a great idea.  For starters, you want to keep as much square footage of water permeable landscape as possible.  Concrete parking pads, your house roof, stone patios...all of these things prevent water from soaking into the ground like it is supposed to.

What you want to do is slow the water down in the areas where it is eroding your land.  The slower the water moves, the more time it has to soak into the ground, and the less damage it can do.  The Grand Canyon is an extreme example of what a trickle of fast moving water can accomplish, over time.  The solution is to create more areas of water permeability by removing non-permeable elements and slowing the water down.  Of course, the roof has to stay and nobody expects you to tear out your patio, but there are other options for reducing run-off, such as parking pads, like the use of gravel, pebbles, Ecogrid,  or porous, open cell, concrete block pavers.   Downspouts from gutters are another erosion culprit.  Many people seek to avoid this by placing a splash block under the drain, in an attempt to spread the distribution of the water.  This works to an extent, but in the end, they are still creating a small, non-water permeable area.  What works better (and is prettier) is to create an area of pebbles and stone to disperse the water and still allow it to soak into the soil.

 For larger areas of runoff erosion, dry creek beds are a beautiful and practical solution.  Even very deep and wide areas can be filled with large riprap and then topped with pretty river rock.  This way, the water will have to filter through the rocks and riprap, causing it to disperse before it reaches the soil underneath. 

The Bog Monster

Then there are those folks, at the other end of the spectrum, where the last thing on Earth they want to do is slow the water down.  Maybe their water table is already high, or the clay in their yard is so dense that it takes a while for the water to soak in.  Whatever the reason, it can be a real problem, both from a gardening perspective and because it's a great place for mosquitoes to breed.   If the boggy area is in a place that would be complimented by plants, then that is fortunate; there are some plants that just love to have wet feet.  Lysomachia is a ground cover that loves the water so much, that it will grow into the water if you plant it near a pond.  Willows of all kinds are great for soggy areas too, just make sure you don't plant them near your leech field, if you have a septic system because they have a vast root system that will seek out and find any water source.

Another way to correct a wet area is to provide drainage, but be careful when doing this; you don't want to correct one problem and create another one (erosion).  If the area permits, you could create a dry creek bed, like the one mentioned above. Put some pretty plants around it, build a decorative bridge across it...make it look like you meant for it to be there.

And finally...if you can't beat' em, join 'em.  Sometimes the best solution is to just give in...stop fighting nature and just build a pond in the boggy area.    Even if you don't put in coy or some other fish, you'll need to make sure the water runs through a fountain, waterfall, or some other filtration system to prevent mosquitoes from breeding in it.  As long a body of water is in motion, the mosquitoes will not lay their eggs there.  But do consider coy.  Watching fish swim lazily in a pond is very relaxing.  What sounds more fun to you?  Stressing out over the ugly, muddy bog in your back yard or sitting by a picturesque pond, watching the fish glide through the water?  Aside from making the best out of a problem area, an added benefit of building a pond is what it does for the ecosystem.  Even man made ponds are wonderful habitats for all kinds of small wildlife and plants.  Many people feel that ponds are high maintenance, but if done properly, with minor periodic maintenance, the pond will usually take care of itself.

Fun bonus feature of the day!

Speaking of water...

Check out this pondless rock fountain. This carefree custom fountain, does not require regular cleaning, but adds the sounds and texture of a beautiful water feature.  Cost ranges from $800- $1200.