Plants for Problem Places

Do you have a spot in your garden that is difficult for you due to dryness, wetness, type of soil, or sun exposure? If so, Graham Rice's book, Plants for Problem Places should be on your bookshelves. Copyrighted in 1988 and released in paperback by Timber Press in 1995, this book addresses common problem gardens. A few of the problems discussed are only for the British gardener while others are primarily useful for the American gardener. Let's take a look at this books' organization and contents.

Rice addresses thirteen problem gardens. They are: new gardens, windy gardens, cold gardens, hot and dry sites, seaside gardens, shady gardens (both damp and dry), North and East facing walls and fences, South facing walls and fences, clay soils, chalky soils, stony soils, waterlogged soils, and acid soils. I am sure almost every garden fits in one of these categories unless you were able to order up the "perfect" garden plot when you began gardening.

Within each of the 13 topics, he includes a detailed description of the problem with tips on solving the problem through the construction of the garden bed. Then he provides a list of appropriate trees, shrubs, perennials and annuals that will thrive in the "problem" garden.

The chapter on clay soils caught my attention immediately because this is the primary garden problem I deal with yearly. Rice states:

The Problem: "Clay is heavy, wet, sticky and often totally unworkable; it's cold in spring and it rots delicate plants very efficiently as well as weighing down the gardener's boots so he can hardly move." [page 103]

A thorough discussion of the reasons clay is such a problem soil is followed by a section with excellent suggestions for alleviating the problem. The suggestions given are practical and clearly explained. I can only wish I had this book when I started my first perennial garden in almost pure clay!

After discussing things such as adding organic matter to the garden plot, double digging and other suggestions, Rice lists trees, shrubs, and plants which will grow well in the problem area. Many suggested plants are also illustrated with color photographs. American gardeners may find some of the plants mentioned are not easily obtainable in the US, however, Rice provides enough suggestions that everyone should find some suitable for their climate zone.

I'd like to recommend this book to gardeners ranging from beginners to professionals. It will save time for new gardeners because you can learn to identify your garden problems and solve them before investing money in plants. It'll help more experience gardeners renew their gardens with plants better suited to their situation.

Go To Page: 1 2

Articles in this Topic    Discussions in this Topic