Gardening in Merritt BC – Preparing Your Garden For the Spring
Gardening in Merritt BC
Butchart Gardens Lookout!
Prepare for the Spring
Gardening in Merritt, BC, Canada can be very rewarding as you take a boring property to the heights of beauty. While the Butchart Gardens, just outside of Victoria, BC may be the gold standard for gardens you can make your property a thing to behold as well. All it takes is some planning and you can be on your way.
Planning is Essential
I have to admit I have no formal training in gardening but as a homeowner for nearly fifty years I have learned a few things. Besides, my wife has a gift for remembering plants, what they look like, when they bloom and how big they get, all important aspects of planning a garden.
The best place to start is with a plan of your yard. On a large sheet of graph paper lay out the dimensions of your yard and place the outline of your house on the sheet. You then have to determine where you want your gardens beds to be. I personally prefer garden beds that have some shape to them rather than just a rectangle.
You also have to figure out where your hardscapes will go. Is your lot sloped? Do you need retaining walls or terraces? What kind of walkways will you need to connect various spaces? Place all these ideas on your plan.
Examples of Terraced Gardens
Terrace Garden-Tom Reynolds Photo
Terrace-Concrete Block Tom Reynolds Photo
Rock Wall-Tom Reynolds Photo
Examples of Pathways
The following path connects the driveway to the front door. You will notice that it is curved to add interest.
Curved Path-Tom Reynolds Photo
When Gardening in Merritt BC What Plants Can You Use?
The first thing that you need to know is what gardening zone is appropriate for Merritt. According to the BC Interactive Plant Hardiness Zone Merritt is in Zone 5b. This means that plants that are rated for this zone will be more successful than zones that are different. You also need to know their drought tolerance as Merritt is considered semi arid.
Once you determined what plants will be suitable for your garden you need to make other considerations. If you are renovating your current landscape you will probably have a good supply of plants already. For example, you may already have trees that are well established and therefore you want to work with their current locations unless the tree is not healthy. Trees provide shade and are a dramatic feature.
Flowering Tree-Tom Reynolds Photo
Flowering shrubs are also great additions to any garden. I particularly like a mock orange blossom shrub. This is one of those cross over plants that could also be considered a tree. It grows quite large and provides a great privacy barrier and wind break.
Mock Orange=Tom Reynolds Photo
Colour should be Your Goal when Gardening in Merritt BC
Perennial Garden-Tom Reynolds photo
Perennial plants should be a part of everyone’s garden. They are called perennials because they self propagate in place so you don’t have to renew them every year. The downside is that they generally bloom for a short period during the growing season. The good thing is that not all perennials bloom at the same time so with a littlie planning you can keep colour in your garden by selecting plants that bloom at different times.
Annuals have to be replaced every year but they have the advantage of blooming all season long. I think placing them between the perennials provides constant colour.
Annuals-Tom Reynolds photo
Colour can also be created by using different types of shrubs and perennials. Some shrubs, like barberry come in many different colours.
Barberry Shrub-Tom Reynolds Photo
“Colour in my garden is so up lifting”-Shirley Reynolds
Hostas are also a plant that comes in many different colourings.
Hostas – Tom Reynolds Photo
Gardening in Merritt, BC doesn’t have to be all plants
Plants aren’t the only things that you can use to make your garden interesting. My wife likes things such as old chairs or head boards, while I like things more on the tacky side such as garden gnomes and whirly-gigs’
Chair-Tom Reynolds photo
Roc Wall-Tom Reynolds Photo
The Joy of Gardening Never Ends
If you take in these tips you can start your journey to a beautiful yard and a great hobby. Have fun!
Gardening in Merritt BC
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