The Science of Gardening

How many of your horticultural practices are based on anecdotal evidence from your neighbor or grandmother, and how do you assess their validity? In the midst of an unregulated "Wild West" of gardening products and practices, you can learn to access science-based information to create your sustainable dream garden.

Many of us make our landscape choices based on plant aesthetics. Instead, learn to first identify your location's topography, prevailing winds, hydrology, soil type, and other environmental factors. Then you'll be able to choose a plant well-suited for the long term. And you'll avoid season after season of frustration.

Unless you live in a completely undeveloped area, chances are your home garden soil is not native. Learn what makes a "great" soil and how to determine your own approximate amounts of clay, silt, and sand; texture; nutrients; pH; and more - before you purchase that "must have" soil addition from the gardening store.

Just as humans cannot grow without our supportive microbiome, neither can plants. Plant roots, bacterial sheathes, and long filaments of fungus all function together to support the plant's growth, enhancing the uptake of water and nutrients and improving soil structure. But what happens to this crucial symbiosis when you add unnecessary fertilizers?

Native plants are always a better home-garden choice than non-natives, right? We know they are best suited to thrive in the soils and ecosystems of the area, and will create the best wildlife habitat. But does garden science support those "truths"? You might be surprised to learn how introduced species can enhance your garden and landscape biodiversity.

In addition to its aesthetic value, your landscaping can provide privacy, protect soils from erosion, moderate temperature, manage storm-water runoff, provide wildlife habitat, and more. Learn how to select the appropriate plants with respect to morphology, growth rates, and physiology to help achieve your specific goals for various locations on your property.