I remember reading an article in one of the well-known garden magazines where a celebrity garden designer acknowledged he spent more on the compost and ground preparation than the plants. At the time I thought, wow, but when I sat down and thought about it, I realised that it was true.
Like any job, the preparation is the most important part of the project and has a massive impact on both the survival and success of new plants. Borders need to be planned and prepared before any planting work can be done.
Whenever, I start a landscaping job, I always spray out the design on the ground. The turf is then lifted with a turf cutter so that we do not take away too much of the soil and then dug over to a minimum of a spade’s depth and ideally two spades.
Soil improver is then added. In Norfolk I use both Baileys of Norfolk and Kings Landscaping in Suffolk. In Cumbria I use Jenkinson’s Forest Products, based in Penrith. All three companies will deliver soil improver which is a mix of composted green waste.
A lot of customers ask whether topsoil is sufficient, but topsoil lacks the nutrients that young plants need to establish a healthy root system. I have planted in topsoil but found that the growth in the first year was never as good as when I plant in the enriched soil improver. The only plants I cannot use soil improver with are those that prefer acidic soil, such as Camellia’s. These must have their own ericaceous compost.
My garden in Brampton in Cumbria is very free draining and the soil improver is vital to adding body. Equally in Norfolk, I plant in a lot of clay gardens, and here the soil improver helps aerate the soil. So whether you are on free draining or heavy soil, improving the ground conditions is vital before you start any planting.
So if you are looking to do some new planting in the New Year, then drop me an email to arrange a free consultation and we can talk through how to prepare your garden for successful planting.
