Introduction: This blog post summarises my key go to garden maintenance tips and tricks to keep a newly built Hortus Pink garden looking at its best. I've split out hard landscaping from soft landscaping in separate blogs.
Aftercare of a new garden, especially for the novice gardener, can be daunting, but with a few pointers followed, it really isn't' rocket science. All my clients quickly get to grips with their new garden and build fresh confidence that they are doing the right things to help their new garden mature successfully. I also say that a client is never alone with their new garden - I provide free advice for as long as a client needs it via WhatsApp (a quick picture and question can be easily and speedily answered) and also by walking a clients borders to help spot issues and provide free aftercare advice.
Key facts: I have some key principals to help a new garden flourish. These cover watering new plants, plant support, soil enrichment, weeding new borders, feeding plants, winter protection, disease and pets, and lawn care.
WATERING NEW PLANTS - The first few years are the most demanding regarding watering.
Watering young plants - Young plants need to establish healthy root growth in order to self sustain, so regular early watering is crucial over the first few years. Pot grown plants which have been pampered in a nursery environment, sometimes decline post-planting if they don’t get enough water. Some landscapers will cut back the above ground plant to help the new plant establish root growth, rather than struggle to support a large plant above ground.
You should familiarise yourself with new plant leaves when first planted and continue to observe them, checking for brown crispy edges, curling edges and drooping leaves. Large plants (eg trees and shrubs) need a lot more water than smaller herbaceous perennials.
Become familiar with plants that prefer dryer conditions, as you will need to water them less - eg when I water a border with lavender or rosemary in it, I miss these plants and only water the plants around them as they are dry plants. I provide a plant list with information detailing the conditions each plant in a garden and how much water they prefer.
If you have naturally damp sections in the garden, your plants would have been added to accommodate this, again, always check the soil and observe the plant before watering.
If in doubt always feel the soil with your fingers, checking for moisture - if there is moisture 2-3 inches down you don’t need to water the whole border yet. Borders in full sun (from morning to evening) will need a lot more water than borders in shade for the middle of the day.
Frequency and method for watering - Watering is ideally conducted once a week by border sprinkler in the late afternoon (not the middle of the day in 30 degree heat) to completely soak the border 1 ft down, then left to dry out through the week. If through the week you notice the odd plant needing extra watering, conduct spot watering by hose (with the gun on a gentle shower setting aimed at the soil around the roots rather than the leaves - never use the jet setting) - but only if you see something drooping. Keep an eye out for fresh loose soil being moved by aggressive watering exposing the roots or birds pecking for worms, recover them with soil if this happens.
Observe the weather and seasons for watering - Observe rainfall and wind/sunlight conditions, stepping up the watering in a heatwave. Don’t rely on forecast rain as we often don’t get what’s predicted, or enough of it to deeply water the borders. You may still need to water even if rain is forecast. Generally there is no requirement to water through the 6 months of autumn through to late winter. Occasionally spring can be unseasonably dry, so when this happens water once a week, as spring is when the sap is rising and plants need water to support spring growth.
PLANT SUPPORT - early growth is tender and needs regular checks for support needs.
When to support - Some plants need support to protect growth from snapping, drooping or smothering other plants nearby. I provide a list of the specific plants that will need support and recommend what supports to invest in upon completion handover. Often herbaceous perennials and climbing plants need the support added in spring as the new seasons growth comes through the support. Never add support to a fully grown plant as you will damage the plant while adding it.
What to use - Investing in steel plant support domes in different sizes is worth it as they also look nice on the border (I leave mine out all year round), especially in winter. as they are so pretty A selection of bamboo sticks in different lengths are also useful. Arched bamboo lengths are also good for keeping lush growth of a lawn and from drowning another nearby plant.
Plant specific support - Climbers need steel wire supports and regular ties to secure them to the wire. Peonies and Gaura need dome shaped support from year 2 onwards. Trees will always have supports and ties added upon planting, and will need to have their ties moved up annually so the bottom third is the point of support. Generally shrubs will not have supports as they need to establish themselves as self-supporting, so pruning out unruly growth which could mean the plant rocks in high wind is the best method to help it establish itself properly.
ONGOING SOIL ENRICHMENT - Mulching the borders is a good way to keep the soil healthy.
When and what to add - Adding good quality, clean soil enrichment every other year is advised in February, as you cut back, weed and tidy the borders in preparation for spring.This feeds the soil and helps maintain a fibrous loamy structure able to retain moisture, nutrients and oxygen. It also makes the borders look very smart for the coming season. For borders that can take the bulk I prefer to use mushroom compost (a lovely mixture of spent mushroom compost, chicken and horse manure) and it can be purchased in cost-effective bulk bags or more expensive / smaller garden centre bags. For borders that are pretty full already I tend to use 'Six Times' manure (of which you need very little). I avoid manure from local horse stables as they often add pulled field ragwort, thistles, grains and hay which all add more rubbish to a garden.
How to add it - Added as a mulch over the entire border to 2-3 inches deep. This feeds the soil and helps reduce weeds. If your border cannot take the added bulk, place a donut shape around the base of each plant. Above all, both methods should not have the enrichment covering the plant itself - it should leave the plant alone above ground and just make contact with the soil.
FEEDING (PLANTS) - Giving your plants a seasonal boost helps them grow.
Neutral to alkaline loving plants - I prefer Chempak nitrogen / potassium feeds for neutral to alkaline loving plants. If done twice through the growing season, it will provide plants with a huge boost to their overall appearance and growth. Always following the instructions on the back of the box. You can also purchase specific feeds for some of the trickier plants eg tree ferns, clematis, etc.
Acid loving plants - Acid loving plants however will benefit from iron sulphate sprinkled on the soil surface annually to help alter the soil PH (if your soil is not acidic).
When to feed - It is important to not over feed (I tend to do it once in late spring and again mid-summer). You must thoroughly water the border before feeding, to ensure the plant is able to readily absorb the feed, bone dry soil is ineffective. Some plants will tell you they need feeding if they don’t grow much, have yellow/white edges to leaves which are usually green, or haven’t flowered. If you’re unsure what feed to give it, Google search to try and find out what the issue is - eg a hydrangea with white leaves is not healthy so Google “hydrangea white leaves problem” you will find it has an iron deficiency.
WEEDING BORDERS - Little and often is my preferred method.
‘No dig’ philosophy - Don’t dig over any border, unless planting something, as it ruins the soil structure and damages plant root systems nearby. Weed using a hand fork when the weed is relatively young, but big enough to get hold of while also coming up with its roots intact. Ripping a weed off, leaving roots in the ground, is ineffective.
Weed disposal and weed transference - Avoid placing weeds in a home compost bin if you can't manage it properly. Proper composting means multiple composting bays, shredding and carefully layering mixed materials (brown and green matter), regular turning over from bay to bay to aerate, covering with carpet to help create heat. Most home compost bins don't get this degree of attention and many people end up spreading weeds back over the garden. Dispose of garden waste via your local authority waste collection as an easy and cheap option. Be aware that moving plants (or receiving plants from other gardens) runs the risk of invasive weeds you don’t currently have, being added to your garden - marestail, ivy and bindweed are especially invasive.
Freshly planted borders - Young borders will always need more weeding than mature/ well covered borders, so be prepared to work a little harder until your plants grow bigger and overshadow the soil more. Ideally, a fine bark mulch is added to new borders to help control weeds in the first few years, but this not not required thereafter.
WINTER PROTECTION - Young and vulnerable plants that benefit from protection.
What and when to wrap plants up - Some plants require winter protection if they are used to warmer climates and/or are vulnerable when young. Your most fragile plants will be agreed before planting to ensure they can be accommodated by clients. They are also highlighted upon installation and winter protection suggested, which should be planned/ added just before cold weather sets in.
Pruning to protect through winter - It is also important to observe the plant shape in late summer/ early autumn and prune a little if the outer branches are likely to get flogged/ snap off in winter.
Exposed locations - Keeping newly installed wind protective netting in situ until exterior shrubs and trees have matured is essential. While it can look unsightly, wind protection will ensure young and vulnerable plants have a chance to mature and toughen intro their surroundings.
DISEASE AND PESTS - How to observe happy and unhappy plants.
What to look for - Every plant has a pest or disease to be mindful of. Be observant of signs of weakness, pest infestation and disease. It’s important to be proactive with disease and pets, especially with a new garden. If you cannot remember the plant name in question, utilise a plant identifier App will usually tell you what you're concerned about.
Treatment - Many pests are small and require a simple chemical spray or home water treatment to both sides of the leaves. Green/black fly are especially problematic as they suck the sap out of young growth, stunting the plant and stopping it from maturing/ flowering - soapy water from washing up is good for this and should be re-applied after rain until the aphids appear inactive. Organic bee-friendly aphid spray is also easy to add and deals with them quickly, but be sure to repeat the spray after rain if the aphids are still present. Nematodes are good and require specific application methods, but are non-chemical. Other treatments will be easily understood from Google (or contacting me) and you should aim for non-toxic / non-chemical treatment where possible.
LAWN CARE - There are many ways to care for a lawn, but less is more.
Scarification - Scarification removes dead thatch and moss. Only scarify every 2-3 years and only do it when the lawn is healthy (scarifying with a machine when a lawn is dry and struggling will do more damage). Often, if you have a small patch of thatch/ moss a gentle hand rake is better.
Weed and feed - Apply a weed and feed every other year and only do it when the lawn is green and healthy (as per the instructions on the box). Never apply it to a recovering lawn or young lawn (new lawns need 12 months before any treatment, and in general will not have any weeds anyway). Conduct spot-weeding in between treatments using a hand weeding fork as too much chemical / nitrogen will actually hold back lawn growth. Only treat a lawn if it needs it - professional lawn treatment companies are inexpensive and they assess a lawn to only treat for specific weeds on a cycle that suits the lawn eg quarterly.
Feed only - If your lawn is thin and lacking in body, but there are no weeds/thatch/moss, periodically apply a gentle lawn thickener / water-through feed, often provided as a hose attachment (always following the frequency instructions on the bottle). This will gently help your lawn to turn into a green carpet. A new lawn should not be fed for the first 12 months as it could kill it.
Mowing - Don’t cut your lawn too short - while a thin lawn will always look messy when mown slightly longer, a thicker lawn will be perfectly happy cut to 2 inches long. I like my lawn to look like a velvet carpet, that feels thick under bare feet and that has enough body to cope with heat. Aim to mow weekly but only tend to mow if you can see the grass moving in the wind. Never leave a lawn to grow long and then scalp it to the normal length in a single cut as it will go yellow-white and young lawns could die. If it’s a bit long, you must cut it a little and then a few days later cut a bit more down to the normal height.
‘No mow May’ - ‘No mow May’ is a nice thing to do, especially mowing pretty patterns in the lawn, but it will damage the overall grass quality when you let it go to seed as courser grass takes over. Doing a weed and feed before “no mow May’ defeats the objective of letting weeds and wild flowers flourish (to feed insects and bees), so you would be best placed allocating an area of lawn for this which is left untreated and long. The area left to grow long really only looks good May to July, the rest of the year it will look a bit rougher and should even be lightly rotivated to remove grass and reseeded with wildflowers annually - so ‘no mow May’ is not a scheme for the lawn perfectionist.
New turf - Never weed and feed or scarify new turf or sown grass seed in the first 12 months - wait for the grass to mature before doing so and only do it if the grass needs it.
Watering - Try to water you lawn weekly when it hasn’t rained during the warmest times of the growing season. Grass roots are no deeper than 2 inches, so the sprinkler doesn’t need to be on for hours - just 15mins per spot before moving on. A weekly water will be enough for most lawns. Choose the lawn you water versus don’t - eg I tend to water my back garden lawn but leave the front unwatered.
Re-seeding an existing lawn - This is not an annual requirement, and if you feel you need to re-seed annually there is a wider problem with your lawn and its maintenance. You cannot reseed a lawn and also conduct an annual weed and feed as it will kill the new grass. Small patches in a lawn will gradually infill themselves and remember if you are unsure of what grass type you have, a purchased lawn product like Patch Magic (sand and seed) will result in patches of different grass throughout your lawn.
Pets and lawns - While too much urine of any kind is bad for a lawn, bitch urine from a dog or a pet on medication can cause issues with a lawn. There are products to put in their water to help alleviate patches, but none work perfectly.
Surface level improvement - Uneven lawn surface and small dips can be improved with topsoil raked across in spring, leaving grass tips showing through the surface. Only severe clay lawns need aeration and only if the soil core sample presents as compacted. Worm casts are a sign of a healthy lawn, although if you can see lots your grass is being cut too short.
Clearing - Always mow and have the box on the back of the lawn mower to pick up cuttings, don’t leave cuttings on the lawn. Pick up/ mow up leaves from the lawn in autumn, so they don’t cut out the light and kill the lawn in patches.
Summer heat - Lawn with dappled/ semi-shade will always be greener and happier than lawn in exposed or full sun conditions, so a garden with trees in the borders will help your lawn cope in summer.
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