Garden Column for the Salisbury Post

Darrell Blackwelder

November 30, 2005

     Flipping through the TV channels the other night, I stumbled on a reality program, called Ambush Makeover. It’s one of those shows where they grab a person off the street and in matter of 3 hours turn an ordinary person into a model, or at least they try. Sometimes I feel like many of the home landscapes in our area could use an Ambush Makeover.  

     Now is a good time to research and plan your landscape makeover. Preparation and proper knowledge are essential in becoming a successful gardener. Below are a few mistakes homeowners make that can be avoided with proper planning.

**How big will this plant get/impulse buying? Most buy plants without knowledge of how fast they grow or the mature size. Dwarf shrubs such as burfordi holly actually stretch eight feet tall. Many think that dwarf means it will not get much larger than the size in the container. Consult with knowledgeable growers or sales persons to learn as much about the plant as you can before planting.

**Over planting. Many tend to over plant, impatient for the shrubs to mature. Placing plants close together is appealing, but as shrubs become established, they become over crowded and unattractive. Over crowded shrubs are often removed after a few years. I spoke to a fast food chain manager about his crowded landscape. Ironically, the company budgets for total landscape renovation every 3-4 years.
**Improper or no pruning. I probably get more questions on pruning than any other subject. Most inquires are concerned about trees that are too big. Horning back trees or shrubs create unnatural forms weakening plants predisposing them to insect and disease problems. Take time to learn growth habits before pruning.
**Improper planting techniques. It doesn't matter how much time or money you spend preparing the soil if you don't plant the shrub correctly. Sick or diseased shrubs are often a result improper planting, usually too deep. In tight clay its better to set shrubs a little high in a plant bed than too deeply.

**Impatience. Planning is very important part of good landscape design. Landscape architects spend hours developing the perfect landscape. Take you time learn about growth and maintenance of new shrubs. Great landscapes often take years to develop. Your landscape is an open book to your personality or some refer to landscape as a person’s outdoor living room.

Darrell Blackwelder is an agricultural agent in charge of horticulture with the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service in Rowan County. For archived garden columns or other information, visit the Rowan County Master Gardener web site at www.rowanmastergardener.com , e-mail Darrell_Blackwelder@ncsu.edu