If there's one thing that nearly all gardeners have in common, it's that we try to grow things that we know darn well aren't suited for our gardens. There are various reasons why we do this, but mostly it's because we see a plant that we love and we want it. It's sort of like falling in love with someone that we know isn't good for us, but we can't help ourselves, even when we know that down the road we're likely to part ways. We think with our heart and not our heads. Don't we all have "favorite mistakes?"
Be prepared to change your way of thinking though, because sometimes he suggests plants that do not give the same appearance as the one it's supposed to replace. For example, one that jumped out at me personally was Daphne. It's a beautiful little shrub that I tried to grow one year and by spring, it was dead. Anyone who has tried to grow this and failed is in good company.
Daphne is definitely a fussy plant and if you happen to satisfy its needs and grow it successfully, you can pat yourself on the back and thank the plant gods. That's what I'm doing right now, as my Daphne burkwoodii 'Carol Mackie' just finished its second summer (and what a brutal summer it was!) and prepares to deal with its second winter here. It's looking quite good.
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| Daphne burkwoodii 'Carol Mackie' |
Since I wanted to grow this Daphne because I love the little ivory-edged leaves, the alternatives to it that are suggested really don't appeal to me, since they don't give the same look. Still, if you can't grow it, then the Carolina Allspice (Calycanthus floridus) or Summersweet (Clethra alnifolia) might work in its place if you can keep them trimmed to stay on the small side. Daphne's mature size is just 3-4 feet high and wide.
(The third alternative, Sweet Olive (Osmanthus fragrans), won't work for me at all, since it's only hardy to Zone 8 and I'm in Zone 5. It also has a mature size of 8-15 feet high and wide.)
There are some plants which he declares to be problems, that for me (and possibly for you), simply aren't, by virtue of my location and particular growing conditions. But there are still some great possibilities that I never would have considered had he not brought them to my attention.
It's nice to have this as a source book for choosing plants for my garden when I'm tired of pandering to something I already have or I'm ready for a change. Andrew's book can be a help towards gardening smarter, not harder!
The Giveaway!
Timber Press has graciously agreed to give a free copy of Why Grow That When You Can Grow This? to one of my readers! To be entered in the giveaway, just leave a comment to this blog post, telling me what the biggest problem plant in your garden is that you still grow for whatever reason. (You can share that too, if you want to!) Also be sure to provide some way for me to contact you if you're the winner.
Enter by midnight EST on Friday, December 14, 2012, and then I'll use Random.org to pick a winner.
UPDATE: We have a winner! I used Random.org for winner-picking and it chose Pamela! Please contact me at ourlittleacre at gmail dot com with your mailing address so that Timber Press can send your book to you.
Thank you to all who entered! I've got another giveaway coming up very soon! And thank you, Timber Press, for providing a copy of Andrew's book!
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Timber Press provided me with a free copy of Why Grow That When You Can Grow This? for review. All opinions are my own.
"Bejeweled"
22 comments:
For me, my biggest problem has been hydrangea. I've tried to grow it in many different spots in my garden & it never does well. I'd love to win the book!
Now I want to grow Daphne!! I struggle to grow bushes in the front of my house. Its brick, and full sun. Its been a few years since we tried again, but its discouraging to have plants die. We also have little success with ditch lillies. I think its our soil.
I'd say Knautia macedonica. The main problem is that it just doesn't look good enough for the amount of space it takes. Maybe under other conditions it would be more floriferous, but in my summer garden it looks look a big green bush with a few red dots here and there. I'd like to get rid of it but my spouse objects.
I try to grow tomatoes in my garden. I've been highly unsuccessful. Undaunted, I bought 8 seed packets of heirloom varieties. I'm not going down without a fight.
We have this rather large juniper bush in the front of our house. Its placement totally upsets the balance I would like to have and I would yank it out in a flash...the issue is my husband, who thinks it is just fine.
Barbara
I love to grow herbs and grow many different ones but Thyme has never worked for me. I have tried regular Thyme, Lemon Thyme, creeping thyme, etc. They all die. But I will keep trying!
Parsley. Too hot, too cold, not enough water, too much water. I keep growing it because I love to cook with it!
this books looks awesome! I live in Utah, we have very basic soil, so anything that needs acidic soil (blueberries, azaleas, hydrangeas, etc, really struggles! I'd love a copy!
I've been trying to grow blueberries, but they are really not doing well. The dream of fresh blueberries from my own yard keeps me trying, but so far no luck.
linnaeharper [at] hotmail [dot] com
I want to grow herbs and have problems keeping them alive. Nancy Carr nancythedove@aol.com
Carrots. For some reason, I try every single year and they refuse to grow like they should. It's ridiculous, especially when I can buy them for less than I've spent trying to cultivate them, year after year.
phall0106 at yahoo dot com
HUGE thanks for this review, Kylee! I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed the book!
I have a gardenia in the front, because I love them, but it's only ever had one bloom and it's leaves periodically turn yellow. It's just not happy there.
Well i love lupines but never can get them to last more than one growing season. I've found that foxglove do better for me and i get that same tall flower spike similar to the lupines.
Hi Kylee, I would love to win this book! Most things that "don't work" in my garden are plants that become too aggressive, and I end up removing them; things like comfrey, sweet autumn clematis, Queen Anne's lace. I do have difficulty growing things like squash and pumpkins, because squash bugs get to the vines and suck all the juice out, leaving them to die. I don't like using insecticides so not sure what the solution to that issue might be. Perhap Andrew could enlighten me. Thanks for sponsoring this giveaway, Kylee!
I love creeping phlox but can never get it to grow. I have tried every location in my yard with little success. Would love to win this book to find an alternative.
I would love to grow pieris japonica. Lots of people around my town grow it, but it curls up its heels when it sees me coming. I just haven't found the microcosm it wants.
Thanks for sponsoring this contest, Kylee. I have tried to grow hydrangea bushes with no luck. I think I had them in too hot/sunny of spots. This fall I bought two and put them in a spot that gets morning sun/afternoon shade, so we'll see how that goes!
Hydrangea macrophylla of all kinds.
I have the most trouble with gardenias but I also have trouble with hydrangeas. Gardenias are my husband's favorite so I've tried with them over and over, but they apparently don't like me much!! zandnmom@yahoo.com
My biggest problem plant this year and last are peppers. The white flies will not stop eating them, and the undersides of the leaves are covered with white flies. I try all organic controls and nothing works and the plants keep dying. I miss my homegrown peppers!
We have a winner! I used Random.org for winner-picking and it chose Pamela! Please contact me at ourlittleacre at gmail dot com with your mailing address so that Timber Press can send your book to you.
Thank you to all who entered! I've got another giveaway coming up very soon! And thank you, Timber Press, for providing a copy of Andrew's book!
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