summer. Clay is wonderful as it holds onto nutrients
so can be incredibly rich and fertile. The humble
apple tree can tolerate clay. Hydrangeas will do well,
as will shrubs like Viburnum bodnatense, Mahonia
and Cornus sericea Flaviramea.
. . . / continued from page 21
You can buy soil test kits, but a simple test is to take
some soil, wet it and roll it in your hand. If you can
roll it into a shape that holds together then you have
a high clay content. If it cannot be shaped and it just
falls apart then it is most likely sand. Sandy soils are
likely to be free draining and will struggle to hold on
to nutrients and water. If you have a sandy soil then
you will be looking to grow plants that can tolerate
these conditions such as Verbena bonariensis, lavender,
Festuca glauca, Geranium rozanne and Eupatorium
( Joe pie weed) are a few examples. The good news
is that sandy soils are easy to till year round.
Clay on the other hand can at first seem like a curse.
The particles are so fine, that the water through forces
of cohesion and adhesion sticks them together -
well almost. They actually slide a bit over each
other, hence the reason in the winter on a clay soil
you will slide about in your wellies. In winter clay
becomes so saturated that it is too heavy to work, in
fact trying to turn clay with a spade just makes matters
worse. Then on the first hot day it dries out and bakes
as hard as concrete. Plants can be faced with many
challenges as they are unable to tolerate the water
saturation and will literally drown, having their roots
starved of oxygen in sodden conditions. In summer
they risk the opposite and will wilt faster in clay as
the water in summer can become hard to extract from
the soil because it is held tightly by the clay particles.
But don’t despair. Follow the advice above about
regularly adding organic matter and water regularly in
22
Hopefully, you have a lovely loamy soil that experiences
neither of these extremes. Soil pH is a very important
factor to consider when selecting plants for your
garden. Some plants cannot tolerate particularly
high pH (alkaline soils) and others cannot tolerate
low pH (acid soils) so it is important to choose the
right plant for the right soil. No matter how much
soil improving you do you cannot always change the
underlying geology. However, you may be able to tilt
the balance a little in your favour with the addition of
lime to acid soils to help neutralize the pH. Knowing
the pH can also help you understand what micro-
nutrients might be less available. In alkaline conditions
for example phosphate may become less available.
There are fortunately many plants that grow well in
alkaline and acid conditions and these are known as
calcicoles and calcifuge species. Calcifuge species
(‘the fleers of the chalk ’) are those that do not like
alkaline conditions such as Heathers, Camellias,
Rhododendrons, Pieris japonica, Liriope and the
Persian ironwood tree are all examples. However,
those plants that love alkaline conditions are numerous
(calcicoles - ‘the chalk lovers’) such as Scabiosa,
Agapanthus, Acer campestris (field maple tree) and
Briza media (quaking grass) to name but a few.
Whatever your soil type there is a garden that will
thrive in it, especially if you nurture the living element
of that soil. Tend to it by top dressing it each year
with compost, water it in summer and work with
the soil you have. It is a living thing that needs to be
looked after. Look after it and your plants will in
turn flourish.
For anyone interested in Foliation looking at
any aspects of your garden from hard to soft
landscaping, small to big projects please
contact me on the numbers below
Jonathan Bishop, Foliation Ltd
44 Lakeside, Newent, Gloucestershire GL18 1SZ
Office Telephone & Fax: 01531 821336
email [email protected]
www.foliation.co.uk
Follow me on Twitter @JonBishop15
To advertise call 01684 833715 or email: [email protected]