John Zvirovski, Jamestown Sun garden editor
John M. Steiner / The Jamestown Sun
The garden is an ever-changing environment. No year is the same, and some plants come and go for various reasons. Oftentimes these changes happen through choices of our own, as we select the plant materials that we want to purchase for the year to try. It is always an exciting experience to see what color schemes we can come up with and how we combine the various textures throughout the layout. The garden becomes a beautiful work of art that we plan for and see to come into maturity. Other times, things happen in the garden that are beyond our control and force us to make changes that we never planned in advance.
A few weeks back, many of us experienced the extreme storm that blew through the area on June 20. It came with wind and hail that created all sorts of destruction and changes in our gardens. Many of us lost trees and other plant materials while others lost structures. These types of changes can be devastating to most of us who garden, as they are not planned changes but things that catch us off guard. I lost 11 trees in the yard myself and it sure can change the look and feel of your yard.
What once was a shady spot can be a hot sun spot with just the loss of one tree. These situations take some quick planning for a gardener. Do you replace the tree with a new one in hopes of recreating the space or do you change all of the plant materials to meet the new space requirements? Whatever you choose to do, it will take planning and foresight for the ultimate result. Some trees that have been around for decades cannot be replaced in a matter of a few years, as it takes so much time to create a shady spot again. Ideally, we have to learn to adapt to the new challenges. If we replace the trees, we have to decide what is best for the space and the future of that area. People always say that in order to be a gardener, you have to have hope for the future ahead. Planting a tree takes a vision — often one where we will never see them fully mature in our lifetime but we plant it anyway.
I have found both the benefits and the negatives of these types of uncontrolled losses. Seeing the loss of a mature tree is heartbreaking, as we know we will most likely not see a tree of that size again in the same space. However, in fully shady areas the thin grass will start to thicken up again and other shaded trees and shrubs may take on a new look or become more lush due to less competition. Shade-loving perennials will most likely need to be moved once autumn arrives to more ideal spots in the yard that meet their needs while sunnier varieties take their places. Most annuals will adapt to the new changes for the remainder of the season. Next year the planting schemes will change.
Planting new trees and shrubs takes some planning and research. Maybe you prefer to replace a large tree with a smaller ornamental selection. Think about if you want a deciduous tree or an evergreen. Maybe you want to leave the new vacant space as it is now and maintain a new lawn. The opportunities that we have ahead of us are endless.
Last year we had a major hail storm that rolled through the area at the beginning of June and tattered the gardens to shreds. Six week later, there was hardly any lasting effect on the plants other than the hostas that were filled with holes. Things recover in time and sometimes we have to learn to roll with the punches that the weather throws at us. We heal as the garden heals and we always have to have faith in the better days ahead.
Hopefully many of you enjoyed the garden tours this past week both in town and out of town. They are always an exciting time and many of the gardens you saw probably had some sort of storm damage that involved a little insightful conversation. I always learn from these events. I find them to be quite refreshing. They allow us to take on a new perspective of things. As a gardener, I think that is an important thing to take away from them.
Next week, on Wednesday, July 23, I will be hosting an “Evening in the Garden” again from 4-7 p.m. It is a free event with a good will offering. Funds go to support the Northern Plain Botanic Gardens and it is always an enjoyable and fun evening. Everyone comes with a story to share, some with heartbreaks and others with great inspiration and joy. Come be a part of the event, whether you have 5 free minutes or an hour. It is the one time of year that I like to open the gardens and just share it with others. If you want to attend, the address is 1601 7th Ave NE in Jamestown.
Have a great week ahead and know in our ever-changing gardens, new and inspirational things can come our way. This is our time to make the best of a bad thing and grow.