The Garden of Author & Humorist David Hobson, Part 2

In this, the second post on David Hobson's garden, I'd like to focus in on the design and layout and highlight a few more of the standout plants. 

For any readers who missed Part 1, David Hobson is an author and newspaper columnist who gardens in Waterloo, Ontario. The home he shares with his lovely wife sits on an average-sized suburban lot, but there are so many distinct areas of visual interest that the limitations of its boundaries aren't the thing that you notice. As with any well-designed outdoor space, the garden reveals itself slowly with one discovery after another. A brick path, that starts at the side gate, branches in several directions at the back of the house. Follow the main path down one side of the yard and you might find yourself in the vegetable garden at the very back of the property. Turn down a short offshoot and you'll find yourself standing on a small lawn surrounded by flowerbeds on all sides. Cross the grass and another branch of the pathway takes you to a patio area, the deck and small pond. It's a great example of how clever design can influence the way you experience a garden. 

In so many of the backyards I visit, the garden skirts the perimeter of the property and the lawn is the empty void in the centre. This approach always feels a bit forced and unnatural. In David's garden, the flowerbeds not only skirt the perimeter of the backyard, but they also curve into the central core of this outdoor space. The lawn is no longer an isolated monoculture. It feels integrated into the overall layout of the garden.

When it came to creating his garden, David was quite resourceful.

"It evolved in general with some planning of the elements. It's a bit of a budget three-R garden –as materials became available, I incorporated them, such as using old barn-board for the fence and a chance opportunity to reclaim bricks for the patios. I used scavenged rocks wherever I found them. The first liner for the pond was a piece of a terrible aqua blue swimming pool liner. Everything else I built," he says.

Occasionally David will use potted plants to fill the empty spaces left by early bloomers, but often container plantings end up in the garden simply because he has potted up too many plants.

Tenets of traditional garden design recommend groupings of three to five perennials for maximum visual impact. That may be all well and good if you have an English manor house and acres of land. On the other hand, if you are a plant collector like David, with a typical suburban lot, you have to rethink such old-fashioned principals.

In David's modest backyard, there just isn't room for multiples. Most of the time, he's lucky to find room for just one of everything. You might think that mixing a wide range of individual plants would have the potential to make the garden seem a bit disjointed and higgledy-piggledy. In actuality, David's one-of-a-kind approach works quite nicely.  Repeated colors, shapes and textures help the whole garden hang together very nicely.

A nodding Allium (sorry, not sure of the specific type).

Staghorn Sumac, Rhus typhina 'Bailtiger' Tiger Eyes is a dwarf Sumac cultivar. Staghorn Sumacs are named for the reddish-brown hairs that cover their young branches much like the velvet that covers the antlers of a male deer. The great thing about this Sumac is there is minimal suckering (unlike the species Rhus typhina). This shrub can be grown in well-drained, average garden soil. Long, odd-pinnate leaves are bright yellow-green when they emerge and turn shades of yellow, orange and red in the fall. Female flowers produce showy pyramidal fruiting clusters that become bright red in the fall. Full sun or light shade. Height: 3-6ft, Spread: 3-6ft. USDA zones: 4-8.

 

Reference to a similar Globe Thistle:
Globe Thistle, Echinops ritro 'Vietch's Blue' is a well-behaved garden perennial that has grey-green foliage and round, steel-blue flowers. Bees love this flower in mid-to-late summer. Full sun. Height: 90-100 cm (35-39 inches), spread: 60-75 cm (23-29 inches). USDA zones: 2-9.

Tansy

An evergreen hedge separates the prettier parts of the garden from the more practical area used for growing vegetables. If you walk through the arbour (see above) you'll find a modest greenhouse, tomatoes and a wide range of other edibles.

The yellow Yarrow. A similar phlox might be 'Laura' or 'Purple Flame'

"I've had this common yellow yarrow–say that ten times quickly– so long I'm beginning to think I planted it in a previous life", David jokes. "There are numerous colors of yarrow available in all sizes and they are one of the easiest perennials to grow. Yarrow requires full to part sun, good drainage and little to no fertilizer. Once established they are drought tolerant," says David.

Sempervivum requires very little soil so they are quite at home on this hypertufa "straw" hat.

One of the most whimsical of odd-ball container plantings in David's garden are these straw hats. They are made using hypertufa (a mixture of peat moss, perlite (or vermiculite) and Portland cement).

"The thing to remember here is you have to have plants that survive without much moisture. Hens and chicks, little sedums; they do fine," says David.

Watch a video about David's unique container plantings.

To make this obelisk David repurposed the boom from an old teak windsurfer. 
The metal rings are barrel hoops. 

"I knocked this together from old barrel hoops. the beauty of an obelisk is it can be out in the open and you can view the plants from all sides," says David.

Spike Speedwell, Veronica 'Red Fox' has magenta flower spikes in summer. Removing faded flowers will encourage a longer bloom time. Powdery mildew can be an issue if the plant is stressed by drought. Average garden soil. Full sun. Height: 30-40 cm (12-16 inches), spread: 30-35 cm (12-14 inches). USDA zones: 4-8.

"Veronica are neat and tidy plants that are beautiful in or out of flower. They are carefree and easy-to-grow perennials preferring mainly full sun. Butterflies and hummingbirds love them too. They are commonly known as Speedwell," David advises.

Weigela 'My Monet' is a dwarf shrub that has green and white foliage which changes according to light exposure. To encourage a pinkish tinge to the foliage, plant this shrub it in full sun. 'My Monet' prefers well-drained soil but is adaptable to a variety of soils. Average moisture conditions. Slow growth rate. Height: 30-45 cm (12-18 inches), spread: 45-60 cm (18-24 inches). USDA zones: 4-9.

Lilies of all types are great to have in the garden for mid-summer color.

In the distance, an Amur Maple, that can reach a height of 18 ft and spread of 10 ft, 
creates a shady corner.

Curiosity draws author and humorist David Hobson out into his garden. 

"What I really enjoy is going out into my garden each day and discovering something new. It might be a new plant coming into bloom; it could be an insect, or it might be a bird," he says.

Ligularia and an Astrantia

This original take on a "boxwood ball" os mone of the garden's many novelties. To make it, David placed a pot of annual flowers in a hollowed out depression at the top of the clipped box.  

One of the nicest spots to sit and relax is right at the back of the house. There is the pleasant sound of water and the dark reflective surface of the pond. 

The thick carpet of chartreuse moss and the firey-red color of the Red Fountain Grass are a stunning example of how to use texture and color in a garden. 

Scotch Moss, Sagina subulata 'Aurea' has chartreuse to yellow moss-like foliage and tiny white flowers in the spring. Tolerates moderate foot traffic and is often used among flagstones in pathways. Scotch moss requires well-drained moist soil and may require regular watering. Full to part-sun. Height: 1 inch. USDA zones: 4-8.

Red Fountain Grass, Pennisetum on a carpet of Scotch Moss, Sagina subulata 'Aurea'.

Swamp milkweed, Asclepias incarnata is native to most of the U.S. and Eastern Canada. Though it is found in swamps and wet meadows, is adaptable to average, well-drained garden soil. This plant has a tall, slender, vase-like shape and pinkish-magenta flowers that have a faint vanilla fragrance. The one thing this plant does not like is over-fertilization which can inhibit flowering. Swamp milkweed is easily grown from seed. Once mature, it has a deep taproot that makes it difficult to move. Swamp milkweed does have one drawback. It can be a rather prolific self-seeder. It likes full sun, but I have also grown it in light shade.  Height: 4-6 ft, Spread: 2-3 ft. USDA zones: 3-9.

Blood Grass, Imperata cylindrica 

I am going to end with another of David's videos–this one about long-blooming perennials. Enjoy!

The Garden of Author & Humorist David Hobson, Part 1

I first heard David Hobson give a talk at the Stradford Garden Festival. He was getting more laughs than the average standup comedian. Humour is a great tool for a garden writer – it reminds everyone that home-gardening is not just an arduous task that eats up your free weekends. It can be relaxing and fun.

"I've always written humour so it is natural to insert a little of it into my newspaper columns. Certainly, gardening can become too serious. I look for the joy in it," David tells me.

David was born in Yorkshire England and came to Canada on a travelling adventure with no intention of making it his home. A passion for gardening developed with his father's influence. "My dad had always gardened and I began as soon as I had a piece of ground to grow plants (at our  first home–the current garden is our third)", David reminisces.

David jokes that there are "ink stains on his green thumb." Always interested in writing, he joined a writer's group and wrote two books of humorous garden stories Soiled Reputations and Diary of a Mad Gardener (available on Amazon as ebooks). In 2001, the Waterloo Region Record asked him to contribute a weekly gardening column. Since that time, David has taken on the same task for the Hamilton Spectator newspaper as well.

Examples of wit and humour can be found throughout David's garden often in the form of repurposed objects. Take the "bright idea" you see above.

"It's what I call my spring flowering bulb," laughs David. "I broke the end of a bulb cleanly once and immediately realized I was holding a tiny terrarium (or planter). Then my son figured out how to easily remove the ends of the bulb," David recounts.

 

David's backyard is a creative laboratory where he makes things like the framed succulent wall art you see pictured above and the covered area in the photograph below.

"I have as much pleasure in that as I do in growing plants. It comes from the constructing of things that I enjoy–building pathways and patios, fences, decks and garden furniture," says David.

Many of these projects are also born out of practicality. "When we first bought the house in 1985 there was no shade at all, so I created a shady courtyard," David tells me. 

The courtyard is now home to his collection of shade–loving plants. Houseplants, like David's collection of Rex Begonias, vacation here in the summer. Begonias and ivies spill from old sap buckets. More plants trail out of an old coal bucket. In the centre, there is a table and chair for a break from garden chores on a hot summer's day.

In David's imaginative hands, an old coal bucket becomes a container planting and a sap bucket a hanging basket. "If it holds soil, it will make a planter," laughs David. Amongst the shade loving plants is a colorful red Coleus named 'Campfire'.

Begonia in a sap bucket.

"One thing I like to do with my containers is to mulch the soil surface," says David. "Until the plants have filled out it is exposed and loses a lot of moisture. We talk of mulching flowerbeds, but it applies equally to containers."

A sap bucket mounted on the fence holds an ivy.

One of David's Rex Begonias.

"One plant that is becoming more popular is the Rex begonia with its showy foliage. They are related to the tuberous begonia, but they are not known for their flowers. They come in every shape and size and in every color combination and pattern. This is a plant that is best when grown close to the ground. They prefer humidity otherwise the leaves tend to curl", says David.

A pretty combination of a Begonia rex-cultorum 'Jurassic Green Streak' and an annual Euphorbia. 

Rex Begonia 'Escargot' (left) and another unknown Rex (possibly Begonia 'River Nile') with brown accents on the leaf edges (right).

A look back at the shady courtyard. (Note the Salvia on the right–you can see it in 

detail in the next image.)

Purple Salvia Patens 'Amistad' is a tender perennial that has purple flowers on tall near-black stems. Light regular pruning will encourage repeat flowering. Full sun. Full sun. Height: 90-120 cm (35-47 inches), spread: 75-90 cm (29-35 inches). USDA hardy zones: 8-9.

When David loves a plant, you'll often find more than one in his garden. 

"I love my Salvias," he says."There are over six hundred species, but I don't have them all. They come in annuals, perennials and shrubs. I have two that are perennial–but not in this climate. I store them in my non-freezing garage over the winter. This one is Amistad (above). It flowers all summer long. Snip the dead flowers off and it will flower even more." 

A hint of what is yet to come on our tour of David's garden.

David keeps other tender perennials, like this Gaura (above), in pots and overwinters them in the unheated garage as well. Fushia and Lantana also winters in the garage.

Spider Flower, Senorita Rosalita Cleome® is a new introduction from Proven Winners that offers many advantages: it's thornless, non-sticky, with odourless foliage and is heat and drought tolerant. Unlike other Cleome, it will not self-seed. Full sun. Height: 30-45 cm (12-18 inches), spread: 65-75 cm (45-60 inches). USDA hardy zones: 10-11.

Echinacea 'Cheyenne Spirit' is a hybrid Coneflower that produces single flowers is yellow, cream, orange-red and magenta. 'Cheyenne Spirit' is happy in average garden soil but is adaptable to sandy and clay soils. Average, dry or moist conditions all work for this perennial. Attractive to butterflies. Full sun. Height: 65-75 cm (25-29 inches), spread: 65-75 cm (25-29 inches). USDA zones: 4-9.

Drought is becoming a common struggle in the summertime. David collects rainwater in a large barrel that is handy to many of his container plantings.

Chartreuse colored Sweet Potato Vine are really popular, but there are new tempting introductions with red and almost black foliage. Sweet Potato Vine is a versatile annual that can be grown in sun or shade. It likes moist, well-drained soil.

Superbells® Doublette Love Swept is an annual introduction from Proven Winners® that has double petunia-like flowers that are pink with a white rim. A light pruning early in the season and mid-summer will encourage branching and new growth. No deadheading needed. This plant does not like constantly damp soil. Containers are the best use for this plant. Full sun to light shade. Height: 15-25 cm (6-10 inches), spread: 30-60 cm (12-24 inches). 

A potting bench and a collection of sun-loving plants. Did you notice the mop bucket that has been painted and repurposed as a container?

"I have far too many pots and planters. I have a shed full of wooden boxes, terra cotta pots and galvanized pails. In fact, I will turn anything that holds soil into a planter–but I do draw the line at plumbing fixtures. I have old work boots–I've tried open umbrellas; pots, pans, hats, purses, baskets and bowls...even eves troughs. The danger lies in overdoing it. Too many "unique" items can make the backyard look like the back room of a junk shop–especially if the plants aren't thriving," cautions David.

Aeonium haworthii 'Dream Color' also known as Aeonium 'Kiwi' has fleshy green foliage edged with orange-red. It does not like heat and very dry conditions (their true growth season is winter into spring. They can go dormant in the heat of summer). To keep them happy in mid-summer,  place them in a location with part-shade in the afternoon. They like to have soil that is a bit moister than most succulents. In late summer they will often produce yellow flowers.

There is a lot of humor in David's use of containers. Here we have low-growing plants in tall pots.

Cosmos 'Xanthos' is a compact annual with flowers that are a soft, creamy-yellow in color. Good cut flower. Full sun. Height: 50-60 cm (20-24 inches), Spread: 25-30 cm (10-12 inches).

Salvia patens 'Cambridge Blue' is a tender perennial (in zones 8-9) or annual that has sky-blue flowers. Tubers can be lifted and stored like dahlias. Attractive to hummingbirds. Rich, well-drained soil. Average water needs. Full sun. Height: 60-75 cm (24-30 inches), Spread: 45 cm (18 inches).

Alyssum 'Snow Princess' is an annual from Proven Winners® that has fragrant white flowers.  This is a vigorous plant that can handle both heat and cold. Evenly moist soil is necessary for good performance. Part-sun to full sun. Height: 10-20 cm (4-8 inches), Spread: 60-122 cm (24-48 inches).

A Youtube video about David's garden.

I am going to end with a short video on David and his garden. Enjoy!

P.S. More of the garden to come soon in Part 2.