In the Garden
Ralph Purkhiser, Purdue University Master Gardener
This is In the Garden column number 900! I can hardly believe I have been doing this so long, but all of those old columns still reside in my computer, so it must be so. I look back at old columns occasionally, and I can see changes in my garden style over the years.
Years ago, the vast majority of my garden space and time was consumed with raising food. My family had always planted a large vegetable garden and sold a lot of produce. Now, I raise most of my vegetables in several raised beds. I have not sold produce for many years, but I raise enough vegetables for myself and some for friends and family. I used to use chemicals in the garden, but, while I am still not one hundred percent organic, I definitely use more organic methods. I am a great proponent of composting and using the resulting “black gold” in my garden. I have researched and tried various composting methods, and have often written about those methods in this column. Still, most of my composting is done in an informal compost pile, which gets turned occasionally. It works for me.
Of course, with so much former vegetable-production acreage out of service, I had to make a decision on what to do with that space. One fairly large area has become my meadow. Once again, I have not followed all of the rules on making a meadow or prairie, but I have created a place where wildflowers thrive and bees, butterflies and other creatures make their home and find food. Once again, I have not been a purist. Some say a true prairie should contain only native plants, but I have witnessed that the native fauna have adapted to feed on many of the plants that escaped from the cultivated gardens of our European immigrant ancestors. I welcome plants like dandelion, chickory, and Queen Anne’s lace into my meadow. I have heard many say that these are invasive, but, while I realize they are naturalized non-native plants, I have not seen them crowd out the native species. Instead, they seem to co-exist with other wildflowers and they add beauty and wildlife food. I doubt I could eradicate them if I tried, especially without using chemicals, which I consider more dangerous than these plants. Still, my favorite flower is the native purple coneflower, and I still believe it should replace the non-native peony as the Indiana state flower.
Ornamentals have also been given a much larger share of the space at Sandhill Gardens. Again, I have a mixture of native and exotic species. I am aware of the dangers of invasive species and have been weeding out true invasives, but I cannot bring myself to limit myself to native plants only. I love the peonies my grandmother planted a century ago, and the daffodils that have grown here for decades and the new ones I have added.
I have also added many more shrubs of various sizes. As I age, I find that shrubs can cover a lot more space than perennials and take a lot less work. I have also added several trees, some of which have matured to large specimens. That means a lot more shade. I have come to love the shade gardens the most of all. Gardening in the shade is a lot more comfortable than spending hours weeding row crops.
I have also changed many of my gardening methods. Some of the changes have been forced upon me because of age and physical limitations. I have found ergonomic tools that make many jobs easier. I no longer own a roto-tiller. I have found more success just top-dressing beds with compost and allowing the worms to work that organic matter into the soil. I use raised beds of various heights, both for food production and in ornamental areas.
The way readers see my column has also changed. Many of the publications that carried the column years ago no longer exist, or have changed considerably. More readers now see the column in on-line publications. Still, I receive enough feedback to know that the column makes a difference for gardeners in southern Indiana, so I continue to write. It is, however, still true that the column is written as a way to generate volunteer hours needed for the Purdue Master Gardener program, and I thank you for helping me climb the program ladder. I do not know what the future holds, but, for now, I continue to garden and write.