I am finding out that many of the plants that I easily grew on my deck in pots, won’t flourish in the ground here, and I must ask each plant, will you still love me if you are withering away in the sun. I must decide before spring if I am bringing them up here, with over 150 plants safely tucked away in a friends garden, this is a big decision. To take a chance on whether or not they do well, or do I give away the very last of my beauties. The cull began this summer when I sorted, thought, and pondered which of my babies I should take, and which I should adopt out to a new homes. I have already given away over 100 plants, but this is a harsh, dry climate, and it doesn’t suffer water lovers well.
The ferns, oh the ferns….my little babies, with their sweet fronds that burst from the black soil in the first days of spring. You are my muse, your green shoots some of the first spring photos. I know that you don’t like hot and dry summers, but I simply can’t part with you yet. Will you survive, do I have enough shade?
Hosta, you water hungry swaths of vivid green leaves, what am I to do? Will you survive in the shade, and can I commit to watering you every day when it’s hot? If I use grey water will I feel less guilty about my water consumption?
Bleeding Hearts, your golden leaves, and red stems are the very first sign that spring will come soon. But you require so much water, and the heat will make you wither. What do I do?
Succulents, I know you will not suffer, you love the heat. Lewisia, with your jewel like flowers, you will thrive in this climate, and my collection of hen’s and chicks will increase greatly. But is it to be farewell to lobelia forever? Goodbye to my ferns? Hosta la vista hosta?
I have no idea, I just know that a water wise garden doesn’t include much of what I have right now. I am all for water consumption, and certainly won’t be wasting it on green grass, or purchasing any new water loving plants. But where do I draw the line, these are expensive well established plants, that might do well if I can care for them properly. Let me know what you think.
Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams
Good morning Jen, I can relate to how you're feeling since I moved from a cool wet area in British Columbia to a very HOT DRY Kansas. I didn't bring any plants with me but I did purchase plants that I had in the past. Most didn't make it and those that did needed a ton of water. If you have a smaller shady area you could plant those that you can't part with there and make sure the soil is amended with lots of compost etc and mulch mulch mulch. If some don't survive at least you tried. I can grow ferns here in Kansas but they have to have a lot of shade and water so I have them in a small area...that way I don't have to use so much water. What ever you decide to do...have fun! At least you've got time to plan for next spring. Enjoy your garden dreams ;)
ReplyDeleteMaura
Jen girl hold on to the searest plants that you can .. getcrafty about shade and what you can increase it by. USE lots of good mulch when you plant your babies because that can make all the difference in saving evaporation from happening too much or too quickly.
ReplyDeleteI fear our summer is going to be VERY dry yet sickenly humid as usual .. so I will be topping up my mulch and making sure when I water it is a long drink then I can have more days in between that I don't have to waste sprinkles !
I feel for you girl .. I would hate to lart with them too .. just take your time and THINK it out !
Joy : )
I just got Gold Heart last year and I love it !! So now I have quite a few cultivars of it : )
PPSS .. for the most thirsty ones .. plant them in a plastic bag with a few holes punched it it for drainage .. it will hold more moisture much longer !!
I'd try them. Some might surprise you. The ferns and hostas are tough and might be more adaptable than you expect. Also, if you've been exclusively gardening in pots, you're used to giving them more water than they will require once they're established in the ground.
ReplyDeleteI would try some in a part sun/ shaded area. You need to collect rain water in five gallon buckets off of the rain spouts..my parents do that all the time and one of my cousins do it too..it is surprising how much rain water you can collect...my Dad has a stock tank behind his garage covered with a screen top for his extra water storage:)
ReplyDeleteWhat a hard decision. Take what you love and give it a try! You might be surprised. Lots of good ideas in the comments to help save water and moisture for them. Good Luck.
ReplyDeleteSome of those plants may do quite well in shadier spots than you had them in down here at the wet coast. They may even thrive, hope so, the flower pics are beautiful.
ReplyDeleteOMG ! Jen girl I promise I was drinking when I posted that last comment .. I just went back to read it and I am cracking up here with all the misplaced letters .. note to self ? SELF reREAD your comments more carefully !!!!!
ReplyDeleteJoy : ) hehehehehe
PS are there mistakes in this one too ?
It's an anguish to leave things behind but maybe it's also exciting that you can look forward to getting to know a completely new range of plants?
ReplyDeletePlant what you can in shady areas. DO you have a sunny area where you can put stuff in planters in a wagon that can be easily rolled into the shade? And getting a rain barrel of some sort will help.
ReplyDeleteI so feeel your pain, I had to part with my plants when we moved, i managed to get good homes, so will you, new zone, new life, new plants, maybe some will adjust, ask your neighbors,, maybe they might help,
ReplyDeleteTough call. I had to part with every single one of my plants when we moved so I feel your pain. The interior is a much different climate than the coast but I think if you can find a spot, perhaps on the shady side of a house at least temporarily until there's a tree to plant these under, or maybe there's a tree already that could use some fern buddies? my parents moved from the coast to Chase and my mom has had good luck with her shade plants at the backside of their house as there's some shade there in afternoons.
ReplyDeleteWell, I didn't bother to dig up any of my ferns. I knew that wouldn't work. Many of my plants my elderly neighbor took. And if they get out here next spring, she said she'd bring me what made it over the winter in her little greenhouse. Hard decisions. I will surely miss my pretty ferns!
ReplyDeleteBrenda
I so know how you feel to have to say goodbye to shade and moisture loving plant. I would try to take as many as I could! I like what Joy had to say. Good luck. Beautiful photos Jen. xogail
ReplyDeleteI totally understand! I would keep them in pots. Change the dirt every so often and then you will be able to move them around to where they need to be. am finding that I prefer more and more plants to be in pots these days..
ReplyDeleteAnd discover new plants as you settle in.
Could you keep them in pots and arrange some sort of shade for them? I've had to leave my gardens behind a few times, especially when we moved from California to New York. It was illegal to take any plants out of the state and my heart broke a bit.
ReplyDeletexo
Claudia
What zone are you in now? Here in N. Colorado, zone 5, hostas and bleeding hards do quite well in the shade. They are perennial and should do well in full shade. The ferns will be okay in full shade outside during the summer, but will have to come in the winter. Funny how we get so attached to our dear plants.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous gorgeous shots, as always!
ReplyDeleteYou draw the line, where you will be resting in the summer heat. A shaded verandah. A pergolaed patio. Or will you lurk inside with aircon?
ReplyDeleteMy Streptocarpus lives on the verandah. Catches a little morning sun. Has a deep saucer kept filled with rainwater from the tanks. The verandah NEEDS some green to keep the people happy.
You could keep the ferns in the bathroom?? A shaded water feature one fine day? Or a swale, bog garden?
Find a way, or you'll be sad. Waterwise gardens are about zoning. The tough, the OK, and these I love and will water!!!
Jen take what you love the most and make it work if you can...I brought some much loved plants with me...wish I had brought more...They found their home in what shade I had...
ReplyDelete(what the heck? was typing along and all of a sudden this was a plant advertisement! No more 'comment box!)
ReplyDelete...back to what I was saying...
such decisons are hard! But they can fool you! Ferns are a definite no. Bleeding hearts are a definite Yes! I've had to break up mine 2x in 5 years as they grew out of their space! They love it and I rarely, if ever, water! Hostas are a Yes! as long as you will have some shade, they too can survive with little! These guys first transplant year may require more TLC, but they may just bless you with their beauty for years to come! My climate is a lot like yours. (Except our annual rainfall is only 11") I always water things deep and never more than once/wk...including my veggie gardens. Mulch helps a ton, although I don't even do much of that! I think you will be amazed at how well things actually survive w/little .....just as you and your friends with the Thrifty Living 2012!
forgot...our summers are probably hotter'n yours too here. We reach 90-110 pretty often!! It can be done!
ReplyDeleteAs I read the names of the plants, I recognized every one of them as a plant that I've always wanted to grow in my garden but can't because of our hot dry summers. So I know your predicament well.
ReplyDeleteI have one strip of shade down the north side of the house. For watering my shade-lover I put a drip-mist irrigation hose with a dripper the base of each plant for a once-a-day water (15 minutes every morning does the trick and barely puts a dent in my water bill). I found asparagus fern and ming fern do very well this way. I found the hostas would have to have almost complete shade to thrive through the heat of summer so I abandoned trying to cultivate them after losing some. Bleeding hearts are the same. Blue lobelia does very nicely tucked in dappled shade areas under larger shrubs and trees.
Cindy at Rosehaven Cottage
I moved tons of plants when we relocated. I wasn't dealing with a huge change in climate, but mine had the stress of being removed from their well established home in the ground. Overall, it was successful so I would recommend trying to move some of your favorites even if they need to be coddled a bit.
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