Welcome guest Ranter Loree Bohl.
Do you know what I hate? Being told how I’m supposed to do something. Phrases like “that’s just how it’s done…” or “everybody does it that way” always get my hackles up. Usually, the person giving the advice has nothing but the best intentions, but I still end up questioning why I should listen. Just because that’s how everyone does it doesn’t mean it’s how I want to do it. I’m not “everyone” and neither are you.
When perusing gardening books, magazines, or blogs, at some point, you’re going to encounter directives of some sort. Sometimes they’re a list of chores, like “ten things to do now to winterize your garden!” Other times, they’re not-so-subtle suggestions on how, or what, to plant. Every part of gardening seems to come with rules, or as I think of them, the Gardening Commandments. These entrenched garden traditions often don’t take into account that we’re all working with unique sets of circumstances, and that no two gardens—or gardeners—are the same.
When I was a beginning gardener, I thought I had to follow the Gardening Commandments. If this is what the experts believed, who was I to question? Now I know it doesn’t work that way. Gardens are individual creations, what works in one may not work in another. In my book, I aim to give gardeners permission to read these rules, consider the ideas they’re based on, but then go ahead and break them or toss them on the compost pile—if you have one; if not, that’s okay! Here are a few Commandments I’ve bent and broken.
The fine, dark-foliage of Albizia julibrissin ‘Summer Chocolate’ helped this impulsively purchased tree earn a spot in the author’s garden.
Commandment: Thou shalt not purchase plants on impulse. Make a list, shop with a plan, that’s what the professionals say. I understand the idea behind this Commandment; research and list-making help you to dodge costly mistakes. You have a framework to work within and you’ll avoid purchasing a plant that will outgrow your garden, or that needs more sun than you’ve got, for example. These are important factors to consider when shopping for a plant you want to become a cornerstone of the garden—a shade tree, perhaps. However, not every plant needs to be a lifetime commitment. It is okay to buy a plant just because you love it, even if it’s not a long-term match for your garden. Enjoy it, and let it go when it doesn’t make you happy any longer. Some of my most treasured garden features were impulse buys.
The author’s front garden is a cramscaped riot of drought-tolerant plantings—and she wouldn’t have it any other way.
Commandment: Thou shalt keep thy front yard for lawn and thy backyard for thy garden. The subject of what is appropriate for front yard gardening has been debated many times here on Garden Rant. Some unfortunate gardeners have been fined by their city, or homeowner’s association for daring to cultivate anything but lawn in front of their homes. But many gardeners have successfully planted and harvested front yard fruit and vegetables, sometimes in a quantity fit to feed the entire neighborhood. Our front yards are often the sunniest location we’ve got, why should we waste that space on a lawn? This is a Commandment that’s outdated and needs to go.
Even the lovely, year-round blooms of Grevillea miqueliana, an Australian shrub, weren’t enough to keep it from being shovel-pruned from the author’s garden last spring.
Commandment: Thou shalt not kill a healthy plant. We’re gardeners, nurturers, why would we want to purposely kill a plant? Well, because sometimes there is no other way. Picture this: you inherit a new-to-you garden and survey your empire: all you see is pink. The previous gardener loved pink flowers but you most definitely do not. What to do? Here’s something I’ve discovered: it’s okay to get rid of a perfectly healthy plant when it doesn’t match your vision If the plant isn’t making you happy, get rid of it! While re-homing a plant is ideal, it isn’t always possible, especially if you cramscape. Plants grown on top of each other, with roots comingling, don’t typically allow for digging a root ball large enough to ensure successful transplanting. Even worse, you could damage the roots of a plant you wish to keep. Sometimes you just have to chop out the plant you don’t want—and that’s okay. Really!
What Gardening Commandments get your blood boiling? Are there any that you regularly break?
This post is adapted from a chapter in Bohl’s new book, Fearless Gardening (Timber, 2021). Bohl blogs at Danger Garden.
The rule I’ve come to dislike is “don’t block the view.” My husband occasionally pushes me on this topic and my community actually has an ordinance that protects neighbors’ views even at the cost of cutting down mature trees. I gave up two trees to accommodate one neighbor but, when that wasn’t enough, I decided to fight back – I’ll trim my trees but I won’t take any more down or restrict myself to planting puny plants. I’m not advocating outright ignoring a view but I think plants can embellish it as often as they obscure aspects of it.
I have a friend with a bumper sticker that reads “the trees are the view”…
I wish I could plant vegetables in my front yard, but our HOA would have a fit and make us take them out!
If your HOA allows a flower garden in the front yard, how about planting veggies behind the flowers? Also, some edibles are attractive in their own way. For example, rhubarb has large interesting leaves and if you allow it to go to seed, it has a large white blossom that lasts for a few weeks.
I like the way you think Jack Kramer!
Ease the HOA into it. Plant five ornamental cabbages and if any comments by neighbors/HOA, tell them they’re ornamental, like flowers. Next, curly parsley. Etc etc.
That manzanita makes me homesick – a gorgeous specimen! One of the ‘rules’ I’m becoming thoroughly sick of hearing, but that is becoming so popular, is to plant natives before exotics. And to always think of natives before exotics. When enthusiastic beginners get huge lists of what they should morally plant , it’s easy to lose the enthusiasm thread. Cannot handle that kind of tunnel vision. Great post! -MW
“what they should morally plant”… I wish I’d thought of that line. So very true!
Agreed! I do take exception with certain horrible invasives (Burning Bush I’m looking at you). But in general, if you can’t enjoy your garden and love what you see with some fabulous exotics here or there, what’s the point!?
When I moved from the east to Colorado, a friend would often look at my new garden and tell me “that doesn’t grow here”. I’ve proved her wrong so many times she’s stopped saying it.
Right!? “That doesn’t grow here” just sounds like a dare to me.
Oh my goodness, same. My neighbor loved telling me all about her soil test and how an azalea would never survive our alkaline clay. Well, maybe 15 azaleas, blueberry, and pieris later and she stopped advising me. Eye roll.
It seems to me that the best gardening commandment is “Thou shalt not live anywhere with a HOA”.
Thanks for the laugh! I feel so lucky that I’ve never had to deal with those rule makers.
Very good post and really enjoyed and agreed with all the comments. My neighbors have told us we have too many trees, we cope with very hot summers so I will never cut down my ginkgo or the oaks.
Trees, nature’s air conditioning (or something like that).
I love the word “cramscape”. It has given me the language to describe my growing to those who believe each plant should be grown in a nice, tidy space, perfectly surrounded by mulch. Don’t get me wrong, I am a mulch believer for 30 years, but, when I look at my garden, I want to see a sea of plants and with just a peak of the mulch showing. I cramscape veggies too. Now that square foot gardening and raised beds have come back in vogue, I get practically zero criticism of my techniques…also when people see how much I grow. Our local gardening center was owned by a lady who believed, “there is always room for one more” and “Nature abhors a vacuum”…I am grateful for her early influence on my flower/shrub growing.
Sounds like you were very lucky to find that particular garden center!
Exactly. Vita Sackville-West famously wrote “cram, cram, cram!” the plants in.
Enjoying your comments Amanda Benick!
I understand and appreciate this gardening philosophy and, believe me, I have broken my fair share of gardening commandments over my almost fifty years of gardening. That being said, I think there is value in some of these gardening rules to guiding neophyte gardeners towards success and encouraging them to become lifelong gardeners. Open to hearing other ideas as to how we might accomplish this.
By the way, ditto to Marianne’s comment regarding native vs. exotics.
You bring up an interesting point. I wonder what rules/guides do help beginning gardeners. I remember hearing so many conflicting OPINIONS (keyword) about the right way to do something that I ended up more and more stressed that I was going to get it wrong.
In the UK I think we are cursed with the legacy of Victorian Head Gardeners, always looking to find something to keep the underlings at it. Their role has been taken over now by ‘Experts’ and so people are turning compost heaps, edging their lawns, weeding out perfectly good plants, fearing ‘thugs’ which would reduce their weeding and bring some coherence to a chaotic garden scene, washing pots, cleaning tools, – it never stops. They keep trying to bully children into it too….
Garden bullies! I should have included that chapter…
“Cramscaping” – I definitely identify with that, whether it’s in my perennials or my veggie garden, I don’t know how NOT to shoehorn in more plants. As for what to do with plants I can dig out of the garden – I list them “as is” on FB Marketplace and they go like hotcakes.
Great rant.
Rules, what rules?
Was my first thought, then I thought, oh yea, zones, but yes, I push that.
Cramscaping, LOVE it, did not even know there was a word for my desire to not mulch. I hate mulch, all I see is an opp to buy more plants!
Makes me think of the Frank Zappa magnet quote on my fridge.
“Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible.”
It came as a shock to me to discover that many garden gurus do the same as the rest of us mortals…they look up information in books! Thus,if a well respected author makes a mistake,it’s passed on as a great truth. I’m with you,try things for yourself and don’t always follow the rules.