I do tend to comment here and there throughout the garden blogosphere. I think that when I have something worth commenting on, I’ll start posting them here, as well. This is the first.
Amy Stewart in a post at GardenRant says she doesn’t like the false choice posed by the cliche, “”Who says organic gardens can’t be beautiful?”‘
My comment:
My least favorite in catalogs and plant databases: ‘Prefers consistently moist, well-drained soil.’ Well I prefer ice cream.
The
corollaryimplication is that you should create consistently moist, well-drained soil at a great cost of sweat and treasure instead of finding plants that will thrive in the soil you’ve got.
You nailed it! That phrase is one of my top aggravations…I always picture some poor soul standing over the plant with a hose or watering can, prepared to “moisten” as soon as the moisture drains away.
Thank you for voicing my aggravation, too! I’ve read that a few too many times maybe and in faith planted things out front where it’s definitely well-drained and sometimes consistently moist, hoping is a 60-40 deal or maybe 70-30…
What annoys me is the lack of more complete information. I have consistently moist soil for sure, but it’s water logged, not well drained. In many cases, plants can do well in my conditions, yet they are labeled for “consistently moist, well drained soil.” Plants can adapt to a range of conditions, but we are given only the “optimal” condition, not the others that might be okay. Here’s one example: I liked the look of Rudbeckia maxima, but it’s listed inconsistently as liking dry or wet conditions. I tried a few and they are thriving in soil totally saturated through winter and very wet most of the summer. They love it. So the only option seems to be to try plants and see what happens.