By Mark A. Tonan

So many people have an idea of what gardening is and what it means to garden well, that sound principles can get lost in oh-so-many opinions. Regardless of whether pink and orange go together in anyone’s garden, some basic principles can be utilized by everyone.

Garlic mustard © 2007 Leslie Watkins

It almost goes without saying that weeding effectively is one key to a pleasing planting. Keeping weeds out of plants, either flowers or shrubs, does more than simply make the plant look better. Weeds compete with ornamental or edible plants by aggressively consuming nutrients and water from the soil. Most weeds are native or invasive, and thus are more adaptable to periods without nutrients or water. When these elements become available again, the stronger weeds are again the top consumers, further weakening desirable plants. When grass and weeds are allowed to compete with shrubs, the turf will work its way into the shrub’s stems, eventually weakening and rotting the shrub. Pachysandra, sensitive fern, and lawn grass are examples of common plants that can kill the shrubs that they are planted beneath.

Weeding also prevents aggressive seeders like dandelions and the awful garlic mustard from proliferating. By eliminating these plants when young, one can prevent many others from starting. Effective weeding requires removal of the root system to prevent re-growth. Any tool that allows one to do this is appropriate, within the scale of the plant to be removed. A trowel can work well against a dandelion, but often a spade or shovel can be needed for ferns or aggressive groundcovers.

Deadheading is a technique that refers to the removal of dying flowers. Flowers open to facilitate pollination. As the bloom fades away, seeds begin to form, drawing energy from the plant. With the exception of a class of plants known as biennials, (plants that have a two year flowering and life cycle, such as lupines and some foxgloves), deadheading is used to strengthen the plant. By preventing seed production, one also helps to reduce at least one source of weeds.

Not all named garden plants produce offspring seedlings of any aesthetic or edible value. Seedlings also have a habit of growing in unwanted spots, such as the center of another plant. Unwanted seedlings of cornflower, astrantia, or chives, for example, will turn a great patch of coreopsis into a weeding nightmare. This is a good example of the ounce of prevention being worth more than the pound of cure. Some plants will even reward you with repeat blooms as well.

Mulching accomplishes many things. Bare soil between plants suffers in numerous ways. First, there is excessive loss of moisture due to evaporation. This can lead to the soil baking and cracking in extreme heat during the summer. Even a light gentle rain can fail to penetrate baked soil. A heavy rain is worse; the water doesn’t readily soak in and could cause erosion. This is easily seen in newly seeded lawns. Mulch not only helps reduce moisture loss due to evaporation, it creates a textured surface that slows rain water runoff.

Mulch can also prevent weed seeds from germinating. A final benefit is the insulating value of mulch is that it helps prevent vast fluctuations in soil temperature for the roots during really hot days or unexpectedly cool evenings, reducing stress on plants.

There are very few healthy plants that are truly ugly. However, there are many truly beautiful plants that fail to please due to weed infestation and neglect. Whatever one’s taste in colors or textures, using these techniques will enhance any garden, and employing them now will pay big dividends all summer and well into fall.