This is one of the basic precepts of laidback gardening.
Rather than trying to modify your environment so it suits the plants you’re trying to grow, why not choose plants that suit your environment?
Once you have accepted that you can live with the conditions naturally found on your property and you’re growing only plants that are well adapted to what’s available, you’ll be surprised to discover just how easy gardening can be!
For example, if your soil is naturally sandy and dries out in record time, just grow plants that can tolerate dry soils. If the soil is constantly wet, why not look for plants that adapt to damp soil? Put sun-loving plants in sunny spots, shade-loving plants in shade. Etc.
And also respect your hardiness zone! Why plant zone 6 plants in zone 4, which then forces you to protect them from the winter cold? In zone 4, plant varieties adapted to that zone or to colder zones (zones 1, 2, 3 or 4), then they won’t need any kind of winter protection. If you live in zone 6, grow plants from zones 1 to 6. It couldn’t be easier!
It’s when you battle Mother Nature by planting plants not suited to the conditions available that you inherit all the problems (insects, diseases, dieback, cold damage, etc.) and therefore all the work.
Instead, learn to follow Ma Nature’s lead and … just let nature take its course!
“Often in choosing plants and shrubs people begin in the wrong way. They know certain things they would like to have and they look through catalogues and order these and others that they think, from the descriptions, they would also like, and then they plant them without any previous consideration of how or why. Often when I have had to do with other people’s gardens they have said: “I have bought a quantity of shrubs and plants; show me where to place them” to which I can only answer “That is not the way in which I can help you; show me your spaces and I will tell you what plants to get for them”. Gertrude Jekyll (1843-1932)
“Right plant, right place” – Gertrude Jekyll
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It’s so hard to convince people of this. The other one is choose a plant of an appropriate size to avoid constant pruning.
So true!