Three Unforgivable Garden Mistakes

In this issue, I’ve decided to take a step back from my cheerful and encouraging tone and discuss a few things that cause an involuntary sigh of exasperation every time I see these common garden mistakes. Warning, you will be start seeing these everywhere after reading this newsletter! Now, lean back into that patio chair, kick off those Birkenstocks, and enjoy our little tea session.

1: Hostas Love a Midwest Goodbye

After spending too much time studying photography in college, I decided to pivot and take a course in Horticulture at Harold Washington College in Chicago. My professor was bald, gay, and exceedingly opinionated. In retrospect, it was as if my first plant ID class was taught by Roger from American Dad! With every new plant he introduced, it would either be accompanied celebration of it’s grand features, or a long list of despairs. His least favorite plants were either horrible to remove once they were in the ground, overused to the point of being in bad taste, or worst of all - Hostas.

His gripe with Hosta’s made more sense once he explained that it is not the plant itself, but how the shade plant was increasingly planted in full sun by people that did not know the plant’s preference for shade. Inevitably I started to see variegated Hostas planted everywhere in full sun, and come July they would be burnt to a crisp.

Midwesterner’s have a love affair with Hostas. We keep growing them, dividing them, giving them to our friends, and planting them in full sun to burn into oblivion. This plant is truly a fan of the Midwest goodbye, because it is not going anywhere anytime soon.

2: Gigantic Foundation Plants

The most important feature for what to plant in front of your house is not flower color, texture, or shape. The vital characteristic is SCALE. Sometimes plants plant themselves, and other times we do not read the tag from the nursery.

You often see this where windows are covered up by foundation plantings. This is fine if you are intentionally trying to block an unsightly view, but when foundation plants grow to insane heights in comparison to the house, it makes your house look small by comparison. They can also block the good sightlines from your house, and prevent you from getting sunlight inside.

I get it, sometimes plants grow - it’s what they do. That’s why the rest of my newsletters are about teaching you how to take care of your yard.

3: Broad Lawns

This is less of an “ick” and more of a disappointment in the status quo. The suburban desire to conform like of a flock of birds and reduce all available green space to a dense mat of green concrete that is the American lawn obsession. What are you doing with all that space? Are you really playing that much Badminton? Are you picnicking in your front yard? Why are our parkways turf grass instead of flowers?

While I understand that a patch of lawn is great as a functional space, it’s overuse is inherently depressing. You have a plant that is forever caught in stasis and not being allowed to mature, flower, and express it’s full range of growth. The true mistake is that we decided to plant a monoculture that requires more work to maintain than resilient native plants that support biodiversity and are easier to maintain.

Stick around for more love letters on how to replace your lawn in order to support butterflies, birds, and the human spirit.

This Weekend in the Midwest Garden

Deadhead Spring Bloomers like Nepeta, Salvia, Columbine, or Peonies. This might cause some to rebloom or allow them to focus on conserving energy in their foliage. For Peonies, leave the foliage. It helps to save energy for next year.

Scout for Japanese Beetles & Aphids as the start to emerge. I’ve yet to find a method better than a nice jar of soapy water to knock the Japanese Beetles into.

Plan your hardscapes so your garden has healthy bones. Since we are wrapping up planting season, you can start to think of some summer hardscaping projects like patios, pathways, or retaining walls that can add needed structure to your garden.

The Plot Thickens

As my own garden continues to reveal itself, I have been focused on designing a patio so we have space to dine and relax outside. Our backyard is not very private. You can see into it from 4+ yards and two different streets. It’s also a good size, so I don’t want to pay for a whole fence around the perimeter.

That’s why I am working on designing a patio for us that is functional and private. It will be nice to have a space to relax in our back yard. Aside from this design, I am mostly just maintaining the stuff I planted, weeding, and need to pop a few last shade plants in. Here’s a mood board to show what I am thinking for the patio.

What I Loved This Week

• Read: Planting a New Perspective, I just finished this book. Was a great read~

• Watch: 7 Ways this Farm Harvests FREE Water Forever!

• Follow: TerreMoto - Design and thoughts on the issues in LA right now.

Written for 10 beautiful readers. 💌
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Until next Thursday,
Ken Welch

About the Author

Ken Welch is a horticulturist and research professional at UW–Madison. He’s drawn to native ecosystems, community gardens, and helping others grow confidence in their craft.

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