Great soil is the basis of great gardening. With soil that receives compost, and is nurtured by mulch, at least part of the year, you can put a shovel in and pop in a plant with the greatest of ease. Compost and mulch create excellent soil structure, besides feeding the microbes and soil organisms live and die there. It's this living soil that best feeds and houses plant roots. Bonus side effects are natural disease and pest control, and food for birds.
I can assist you with maintenance, planning and implementation. These are the main action skills that make my gardening great:
- digging
- weeding
- raking
- deadheading
- transplanting
- seeding and cuttings
- pruning and trimming
- mulching/topdressing
- composting
- organic fertilizing
- planning
- for outdoor living spaces, display, privacy,noise reduction, low maintenance/thriving growth (right plant, right place), etc.
- plant selection
- for low maintenance, water saving, cut flowers, aesthetic enjoyment, wildlife etc.
Together, they amount to results such as these:
- well cared for maintenance
- getting ready for sale
- harvesting
- reclaiming your 'jungle'
- tackling your invasive species
- downsizing
- using native plants
- attracting birds and butterflies
- deterring pests
- renovating your perennial bed(s)
- bringing colour, food and enjoyment back to your garden
- reducing water needs
When materials need to be brought to your garden, I can arrange for delivery and be there to receive it. I recommend making your own slow compost pile of garden waste that can be used the next year as soil amendment. Otherwise, if taking waste to the municipality yourself isn't feasible, you can hire Community Composting, who will collect garden waste and bring you finished compost.
For inspiration, try visiting these local gardens:
- Playfair Park (renowned rhododendron forest, perennial border, and Garry Oak meadow restoration),
- Finnerty Garden at UVic next to the Interfaith Chapel (an exemplar of all different ecosystem gardens like forest, edge, water, alpine and grassland),
- Abkhazi Garden (the garden that love built).