To Gild the Lily.
Garden ornament is a very wide-ranging and subjective garden concern, ranging from, “why do you need it anyway, aren’t plants enough?”, thence all the way from monumental manifestations of classical sculpture to the cherished flamingo of South Florida or the more humble whitewashed tire planted with petunias of the rural South. It is also a very personal concern reflecting its owners’ tastes, habits and sense of place.
But gardeners on Hilton Head Island will probably prefer the simpler rather than the more elaborate expression, due mostly to smaller garden capacity to begin with, plus the desire that their garden space reflect in some sense the “spirit of the place,” which is a barrier island on a Southern coast. This narrows the possibilities somewhat but by no means excludes or denies the individual desires of the creative soul.
"The object of pruning is to control and direct growth, to improve health, to increase bloom, (or fruit) production and to shape
It’s June and the subject is roses- although in the Lowcountry that can be backed up to May, when the first flush of bloom appears.
Ten precious and private Edens are on display for your pleasure on May 17, the traditional third Saturday in May during the annual All Saints Episcopal Church Garden Tour, now in its 21st year. Since Hilton Head Island is described by some as “paradise,” it is only fitting that a church should invite you to experience so many versions of Eden.
Though we’re all familiar with the fabled lilies of the field, which neither toil nor spin, yet are arrayed more gloriously than Solomon, here we are concerned with something even more... dare it be said? ... gaudy. The extravagant color combinations of caladiums, as well as the once despised cannas are both showy and satisfying – the former for shade, the latter for sun. You can have the best of both possible garden worlds when you plant these two winners, for both dependable beauties deserve a place in every Lowcountry landscape.
The reader/gardener has been promised new beginnings, so let’s begin. But not randomly nor recklessly in the feverish enthusiasm engendered by consecutive days of balmy weather. Since it is generally accepted that March 15 is the last day of frost expectation in the Lowcountry, one should delay planting tender annuals before that date.
Dirt, not love, makes the world go round. There is more to dirt than meets the eye, but the most important thing to know is how to distinguish good from bad dirt and then maximize the good. And although it is not brain surgery, there may be a bit of bio-chemistry involved. Before you let that scare you away, what follows is simplified (maybe over simplified), but should be easy to read and heed. Almost certainly, native soils encountered by the Lowcountry gardener will be sandy and acidic. Your decision to move to the coastal plain and plant a garden does not automatically guarantee perfect conditions for your aspirations. It doesn’t take long to learn this.
Janus, the mythological Roman god whose profile faces left and right simultaneously, signifies endings and beginnings, including the year just past and the year to come.
In the garden and elsewhere, so goes the season.
Transplanted gardeners from colder climes are consistently frustrated in their attempts to translate their beloved northern gardens to the relatively inhospitable environment of the Lowcountry. But in spite of all evidence and advice to the contrary, they usually persevere in their efforts until experience convinces them that it is not to be. And it is understandable because northern plants are lovely and lush indeed, thriving in the temperate, (at least in spring, summer and early fall), climate of southwestern New York state, particularly Chautauqua, whence these garden thoughts float in late July.
