Relinquishing Control and Finding Balance

By Tessie Walters, Horticulturist, The Gardens on Spring Creek

            Taking a new approach when looking at your landscape may be difficult for many. Most of us grew up with the concept of a finely “manicured” landscape that we constantly “tame.” We try to dominate rather than lean into stewardship and reciprocity with the garden ecosystem. Consider taking a step back and embracing a relationship with your garden that starts with observation. Rather than making drastic changes or exerting unnecessary energy, consider what needs to happen for your needs and what could help enrich the ecosystem. What control are you willing to relinquish? 

            Rather than removing a plant that has spread too much, consider planting different varieties of plants to punctuate the negative space. This will buy you time to manage the other plants or tame the plant naturally by reducing open space. Plants grow in groups in nature; they want a friend or family, and having multiple of the same plant will increase genetic diversity in new offspring. The garden is a living, evolving system, so allowing plants to act naturally will enhance the ever-changing matrix in your garden. Maybe consider hedging less and allowing things to have a natural shape. You don’t have to give up all the maintenance, but consider adopting a mindset of low-maintenance stewardship rather than dictatorship.

            Where are your trouble spots? Why do the weeds love those areas? Maybe the soil is poor, compacted, or disturbed? Exposed soil areas will always be an invitation to weeds or aggressive garden plants. Fill open areas with desirable plants like grasses, forbs, and shrubs selected for the climate to shade the soil surface and prevent weed germination. The use of mulch and occasionally the use of harsher methods such as herbicides may be needed to eradicate aggressive perennial weeds like Canada thistle and Bindweed. Although often a taboo subject, appropriate use of herbicide is sometimes necessary to restore an ecosystem from invasives. Always read the label! We have led ourselves to imbalance through our domineering spirit, so we might need to employ harsher methods to get things back in order. The goal is a balanced ecosystem where appropriate plants thrive and encourage other animals, including insects, to share the garden.

            It is always beneficial to ask yourself what you desire with your space! Also, consider how to invite other creatures to share this space with you. Think of the garden ecosystem as a place of safety and reprieve for ourselves and others who find a home there. Less work can be achieved by selecting plants that are truly appropriate for your environment. That means natives and native-type plants are the best option for a garden that minimizes maintenance inputs from the gardener, limits resources like water and fertilizer, herbicides and insecticides, and invites other creatures to share in the bounty. The goal is not perfection but balance, harmony, and a chance to experience a garden as an evolving ecosystem. Find peace in the diversity and imperfection rather than the static, manicured landscape. Accept nature as our greatest teacher and become a part of your garden’s ecosystem, you might be delighted at what you observe.