Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, May 19, 1993 TAG: 9308230237
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ALMENA HUGHES STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
``In new American gardening, instead of trying to make a wet area dry or turn alkaline soil non-alkaline, you suit your plants to the terrain,'' said Brian Scott, owner of Picture Perfect Landscapes in Roanoke.
Scott said new American gardening requires less cash and energy outlay than does trying to alter landscape conditions, and plants grown in a naturally conducive environment are more likely to thrive than are those grown in forced terrain. ``Big-tub water container gardening is going to be really
popular this year,'' predicted Larry ``Bug'' Booth, landscape foreman of the Belle Aire Garden Shoppe Inc. in Roanoke.
Booth said water containers are easy to care for compared to ponds, and they're comparatively simple and inexpensive to put together.
``Herbs need good drainage and sun, but they don't require rich soil or a lot of space. You can even grow them in a window box,'' said Alenne Walker, owner of the Plant Plant in Christiansburg.
Herbs also make wonderful, no-mow ground covers and can be used aesthetically or for cooking, medicine, fragrance or as a natural insect repellent to protect other plants.
Among his sprawling display, Scott pointed to an assortment of viburnum, in varied heights and stages of bloom, as examples of plants that are native to North America.
``New American gardening uses a more naturalistic and less formal layout and suits plants to the location instead of the other way around,'' he explained.
It also incorporates elements that will give interest to the landscape year round, like decorative grasses, shrubs with stems that turn red in the winter or witch hazels that bloom in January and February when just about everything else is bare.
Pointing to a group of native oak-leaf hydrangea, Scott said they would be showy during the dog days of summer, while little else was going on growth-wise. He also showed an array of ornamental grasses, which are not usually native but because of their long showy season, frequently are used in new American gardening.
The pampas, Scott said, was drought-tolerant, came in different heights and shapes and looked stunning combined with shrubs, perennial and annual plants. The fountain grass - ideal for steep, hard-to-mow slopes - would grow to about six feet tall and sprout pink plumes from June through August.
``The biggest mistake I see in yards is that they're gorgeous starting about April or May. Then in summer they get into a slump,'' Scott said. ``In the fall, if they still have the energy, some people buy more plants like mums to last into winter. And then there's nothing.''
Over at Belle Aire, Booth was busy setting up holding tanks for the water plants he thinks will be big sellers this season. He said water adds impact and interest to any garden or landscape. Containers allow gardeners to put the water where they want it, even in a small space or on a deck or patio.
The containers are actually mini ecosystems of water, plants and fish, which sound like they'd be complicated to set up. But, ``It's actually pretty easy and inexpensive to do,'' Booth said.
He estimated that an average half barrel or tub - at least two feet deep, two feet in diameter with several square feet of water surface and smooth insides - would probably cost about $20. A heavy polyurethane plastic liner would run about $1. An oxygenator plant to supply oxygen for the fish would cost under $8.
He suggested using the cheapest feeder guppies or goldfish available. The more expensive koi fish often used in ponds would be too large for container gardens, he said.
The biggest expense would probably be for water lilies at about $24 per plant. Fragrant, showy and available in a cornucopia of colors, the lilies are planted in ordinary potting soil directly in the barrel or tub or in a smaller container. They have the potential to live for many years. ``The main thing is that you need an area that gets at least six to eight hours of direct sun each day,'' Booth said.
It should be near a water supply because you'll periodically need to add water.
Belle Aire plans to offer several free water-gardening seminars and demonstrations. Call 774-7444.
Walker of the Plant Plant said, ``I believe the dictionary defines an herb as a plant that has a useful purpose aside from beauty. With herbs, you can literally have an edible or otherwise useful landscape.''
Among possible ground-cover herbs, she included thyme, which she said sprouts pretty pink or blue flowers and is often used in cooking or as a medicinal ingredient; sweet woodruff, which is a basic ingredient of May wine; chamomile, which is often made into tea or a facial mask; soap wort, used in making soap; and some varieties of oregano and sage, both popular cooking ingredients.
Walker, who also is vice president of the Virginia Herb Growers and Marketers Association - a network of businesses and individuals interested in herbs - said she's noticed several trends in herb usage: More people are using herbs as natural remedies; interest is growing in aromatherapy, which in part uses herbal scents to affect moods and healing; and many people are drying herbs to make culinary wreaths for their kitchens.
``The wreaths are wonderful because you can use the herbs, but they also give such a nice natural touch and fragrance to your kitchen,'' Walker said.
The Plant Plant holds numerous seminars and workshops on growing and using herbs, including one on making culinary wreaths. It also will hold its fifth annual two-day herb festival on Aug. 28-29. Call 382-2653.
by CNB