I sometimes wonder whether if I counted my socks in and then out of the washing machine I might not have so many odd ones. But maybe it’s at some other stage in the domestic cycle that they come a cropper. It remains a mystery.
I often hear people complain that plants also have a habit of disappearing without explanation. Finding a label in the soil with no sign of the plant itself, can indeed be very disheartening. But unlike the sock situation there are practical things you can do to avoid this.
The first thing is to really understand the environmental conditions of your particular site. Think about how much light or shade there is, check the pH and composition of your soil and the level of shelter available to the plants that will grow there. You can then use websites such as rhs.org.uk or a good plant encyclopedia to select plants that will thrive in the conditions you have.
Draw up a planting plan that helps you keep track of where everything is planted. Space plants out according to their eventual size so that they don’t have to compete with each other for water, light or nutrients. And don’t do too much new planting at once – get one bed going before you work on the next. Water, weed and keep an eagle eye on pests until your plants are well established.
And finally, remember that some plants are just naturally shorter lived than others. The good news is that these plants can often be easily propagated by dividing a mature plant or by sewing saved seeds from the previous year – ensuring an everlasting supply to accompany your established and longer lasting plants.
