Article published on:
OrganicGardening.com
Dec. 2001 – Jan. 2002
Darlene Blasing, Cincinnati, Ohio
I was once an obsessive gardener, working up to 40 hours a week in my yard, but no more. Some people might doubt my conversion after seeing these photos, but other than the spring planting of annuals and autumn cleanup, with a bit of primping in between, my garden requires a minimum of care. There is nothing I would call work involved in taking care of it, other than cleaning the fountain occasionally.
The biggest challenge in creating the garden was in preparing the site. The backyard was solid clay and the drainage was so poor that it was swampy in the spring. Professional help was needed as well as the cooperation of neighbors, since their backyard had to be graded and their drain repaired in order to divert the water that was pouring into my yard. A concrete retaining wall was built along the property line with drain tiles beneath it. We stripped off a few inches of clay ‘topsoil’ and replaced it with rich river bottom soil, as well as a few other amenities, before the planting began. Actually, that sounds a lot easier than it was. We got eight weeks of rain after the sod was stripped off the yard and I was beginning to wonder if I would ever see anything but mud there. We finally resorted to covering the yard with enormous tarps on rainy days and removing them when the sun was out. It was July before the ground dried out enough to work it up. What an ordeal that was. I just kept telling myself that one day I would be able to look back on the experience and laugh. I’m not to that point yet, but the garden was certainly worth the effort.
One of my favorite plants is the daylily. Prompted by the challenge of a fellow gardener, I’ve recently begun starting them from gathered seeds. After the plants have gotten an adequate start in the house, I set them out in a raised bed behind the garage. The best of them will eventually be added to the main garden.
These pictures were taken in 2000, the garden’s second summer. It continues to flourish. The clematis were outstanding in 2001 and I’ll be adding more of them because of their beauty and resistance to disease. Our hot humid summers make it difficult to grow roses here, though I do have one rose bush that is very resistant to blackspot. It was one of the few plants that came with the house and anything that could survive the previous owners’ lack of care is definitely a keeper.
I’m always happy to share my garden with others. My neighbors bring friends and relatives through the garden often. One of them tells me that I shouldn’t be surprised if a tour bus shows up one day. I always say that a garden should be appreciated by as many people as possible.
Text & photos © Darlene Blasing