Pure style Disappointments few if gardens mimick nature
Published 11:40 pm Friday, May 28, 2010
Green living is a topic getting considerable coverage in the media today. Hundreds of new products designed to be friendlier to the environment have entered the marketplace. Local Master Gardener Jerry Morse has found earth-friendly practices well suited for managing the gardens surrounding the home he shares with his wife, Billie.
Heavy shade dominates the front drive and garden area. When they got married six years ago, the front garden consisted of mature Pride of Mobile azaleas, some day lilies and low mondo grass near the front door, a four-tiered fountain and lots of untouched woodland, Billie Morse said. She and her late husband, Howard Miller, who built the home, preferred leaving the grounds as a natural setting so they could enjoy the wildlife that frequented the area.
Morse’s first project was the addition of a small bed with four roses near the fountain. Next, a 6-foot retaining wall was built in the backyard to secure the soil on the ridge behind the house. A level spot was thus created at the top of the retaining wall where a small raised vegetable garden and rose beds now stand. A row of bright knock-out roses sit atop the wall and are visible from the dining room windows and courtyard garden area.
A 16-by-32-foot garden shed is located along the pathway between the lower section of the backyard and the level area at the top of the retaining wall. Morse stores garden equipment here and has a high wattage grow light inside that enables him to grow tomatoes all winter in the shed. He collects rainwater from the roof of the shed in two 550 black tanks outside. He collected more than 10,000 gallons last year from the shed roof, enough for all the water he needed for his vegetable and ornamental garden areas. A covered compost bin is nearby, and there he composts leaves and kitchen scraps.
He relies on the compost combined with alfalfa tea — mix 12 cups alfalfa meal, 30 gallons water, ½ cup Epsom salts and 1 cup Miracle Grow in a large trash can and allow to sit three days, stir and pour ½ gallon on each rose or vegetable plant — cottonseed meal and other organic products for all his fertilizer needs.
Erosion was a big challenge on the shady property. He took a course on permaculture and has used techniques learned there to control the water issues and build soil structure. He developed swells along the contours of the land that allow water to collect and infiltrate into the soil rather than run off and cause erosion. Low mondo grass, as well as the low groundcover hedges of Asian Star jasmine at the entrance to the driveway, also assists with water control. Leaves remain where they drop, decompose and build the soil, just as nature intended and leaves collected from the driveway are shredded and recycled. “Gaia’s Garden – A Guide to Home Scale Permaculture” by Toby Hemenway and “Permaculture — A Designers Manual” by Bill Mollison are two good books that he recommends for those who wish to learn more about permaculture.
“I learned a lot about shade gardening at Crystal Springs and have planted many of the shade plants I saw there,” Morse said.
He grew up in Oklahoma and South Dakota and has had a lot to learn about gardening in the South.
With the water run-off addressed, he planted camellias, autumn fern, Chinese mahonia, fatsia, aspidistra, Persian shield and hosta in the shadiest woodland areas. Lady in Red hydrangeas, impatiens and wax begonias provide color along the dappled shade drive near the house along with the original day lilies. A Japanese maple, pittosporum, Sweet Bay magnolias under planted with camellia sasanqua and loropetalum and a grouping of miscanthus ornamental grass showcase the front of the house.
Water from the roof is directed away from the house via round river stones over landscape cloth. They camouflage the drainage and blend in beautifully with the nearby wooden decking. Two large cement urns overflow with lush green ivy and flank the front steps to direct visitors to the main entrance of the home.
Serious gardeners such as Morse readily admit gardening is a challenge, requires hard work and is a never-ending learning experience. Work with nature and you will never be disappointed.
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Miriam Jabour, a Master Gardener and Master Flower Show judge, has been active in the Openwood Plantation Garden Club for over 35 years. Write to her at 1114 Windy Lake Drive, Vicksburg, MS 39183.