Whatton House Garden: Effective Watering
It is proving to be a misconception that England is a wet country. Over recent years the growing season has becoming increasingly challenging due to a lack of rainfall. Winter can see the opposite extreme however in the form of flooding. There are various things that can be done to help establish new plants and use the available water as efficiently as possible. As well as reducing the time involved and any anxiety of struggling plants, there is a need to reduce costs including water. There is also a need to manage expectations and ambitions. Whilst the traditional English Garden with its herbaceous borders can still be achieved it will need to be irrigated in a dry summer, along with other maintenance practices to conserve moister in the soil and reduce plant stress.
One of the first considerations is plant selection. There are plants that are better adapted to cope with dry conditions than what has been typically used traditionally. Many herbs such as Lavender come from a Mediterranean climate and other a good starting point. Plants with silver foliage, small leaves, and succulents are good choices. Using such plants reduces the amount of water required and still allows us to enjoy a garden. The resultant garden style could be described as Mediterranean, Dry or a Gravel Garden.
With more traditional herbaceous borders, mulching is an absolute must. When the soil is moist in the Autumn to Spring a 4inch/10cm layer of mulch (garden compost, manure or bark) is applied to cover the soil surface, thus trapping the moister in. The compost also conditions the soil enabling it to hold onto moister, but also helps to improve drainage on clay soils. Conditioning the soil also helps the soil organisms, some which form symbiotic relationships with plants. This includes mycorrhiza fungi that effectively increase the root network of plants several times over thus increasing the plants access to available water in the soil. Apart from using compost it is often advisable not to over do it with the fertiliser. Adding fertiliser can promote lots of lush growth that is more prone to wilting. Treating plants mean will encourage shorted and woodier growth that consequently less readily wilts.
If it proves necessary to water, it is best to do so first thing in the morning or last thing in the evening. The idea being that it is cooler at these times of day and less water will be lost to evaporation. For the same reason avoid using sprinklers. Instead use leaky hose, that applies the water directly to the soil where it is needed. It can also save time. Once it has been installed all that needs to be done is to turn on the tap then come back after an hour or so to turn it off. When planting something new there are two techniques to use, plunging and puddling. With plunging the plant with its pot still on, is plunged into a bucket of water so the whole pot is submerged. Keep the pot submerged till the bubbles stop, that way you know all the air spaces have been filled with water. With puddling the planting hole is dug then filled with water. Waite for the water to soak into the soil then continue to plant. By doing so the surrounding soil around the plant will have some moister in it for at least the first two weeks to help establishment. It is also possible to scrape some of the surface soil back away from the plant to form a circular dam that will hold the water in place and stop it escaping.
These are some of the techniques we use at Whatton to help establish new plantings and cope with a changing climate. Our plant choice over time will more than likely adapt to improve sustainability. The above can be applied to any garden and will help make watering more efficient.
William Stanger of Four Winds Horticulture is a local Garden Consultant and international writer. He is advising Whatton House on the garden’s regeneration. He has worked at various gardens in the U.K and New Zealand including The Savill Garden and Dunedin Botanic Garden. He has a M.A. in Historic Designed Landscapes and a BSc Hons in Green Space Management.