Trumpet vine trellis
I have always been a fan of English gardens with their beds filled with varieties of colors and shapes of flowers.
I have never successfully grown an English garden, due to our low humidity, intense sunlight both in winter and summer, excessive winds and lack of consistent winter moisture. That’s not to mention all the critters we deal with.
Do they have voles, ground squirrels and deer in England? I know they have moles and rabbits. They probably have their own mammalian problems. However, even with all the challenges of our environment, my neighbor Roni has developed a lovely water-efficient landscape that’s very English-esque.
She has an abundance of color throughout her yard, throughout all the seasons, including shrub roses, Russian sage, hardy geraniums, chrysanthemums, spiraeas, lavender, trumpet vine, echinacea and much more.
Of course, we won’t be growing some of the specialty plants that can be grown in London’s warm microclimates. No tree ferns, palms or hardy bananas for us outdoors. Box hedge knot gardens or beds edged with perfect rows of box hedges are probably not possible in most Nevada microclimates.
And, who wants the amount of work required to keep something barely adaptable here alive and attractive? A water-efficient landscape (WEL) has more space between the plants than a typical English garden. It doesn’t rely on rainfall for regular irrigation, but instead uses a well-designed drip irrigation system.
There’s more rocks and pavers used to create visual interest than might be evident in an English style arrangement. Lawn is not a dominating feature. In Roni’s landscape there’s enough grass for the dog to play on and stay cool, but not tens of thousands of square feet to water and mow.
An English garden may suffer from more mildew and other diseases with their higher humidity. They have some of the same insect pests as we do, such as aphids. They most likely have a number of pests we don’t have.
The kind of landscape maintenance tasks may be slightly different than ours, but I suspect English gardeners struggle the same as we do to keep gardens productive, beautiful and well maintained.
If you want a landscape filled with thriving flower beds, shrubberies and trees, your best bet is to follow the WEL principles. Design with your site in mind, including topography, soil characteristics, microclimates, and your needs.
Prepare soil to hold water more efficiently, or to improve drainage. Select drought-tolerant plants. Limit your turf areas. Use mulches. Put in efficient irrigation. Do the appropriate maintenance. Hopefully, you are lucky in your helpers as Roni is with her helper Chip.
JoAnne Skelly is Associate Professor & Extension Educator Emerita at University of Nevada Cooperative Extension. Email skellyj@unr.edu.