Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Why Grow That, When You Can Grow This?

Let’s face it, Andrew Key’s new book Why Grow That, When You Can Grow This? 255 Extraordinary Alternatives to Everyday Problem Plants was not written for me. He begins by acknowledging that as gardeners the grass is always greener “in the other garden” you know...we want what we cannot grow. Sure, I hear that, Lord knows I hear that. But then he lost me.

Get this, he suggests that by matching the plants we choose to our climate, soil and sunlight conditions they’ll thrive and we’ll be happier gardeners. What? I've been going about this all wrong. I thought you were supposed to choose the plants you love and then move heaven and earth to make them happy! (you know like the work involved in growing desert plants in rainy Oregon)

Okay, I kid. As much as I love pushing what will grow in my garden there are times you just have to accept the plant you are drawn to is just not the right plant for you. Andrew helps readers through this realization by identifying plants that replicate at least three or more traits of the “problem plant,” things such as hardiness, shape, color, texture, light, and size. And as a bonus this also means if you adore a particular plant in your garden the alternatives provide ideas of how to include more of what you love. For instance as an alternative for Yucca filamentosa (evidently some people see this perfectly lovely creature as a “gas station plant” and thus an unsavory character, whatever!) he offers Dasylirion wheeleri, which I believe is a wonderful, yet  underutilized, plant.

This brings me to another point about the book; it was an education to read what some of the problem plants were and why they were seen as such. For instance everyone’s favorite hardy palm (at least here in the Pacific Northwest) Trachycarpus fortunei was said to look best “in the neighbors garden” because up close they are all trunk, oh my!

That particular Trachy (above) is in my neighbors garden, but what I wouldn't give to have a few of those trunks in my garden! (then again I have a friend who is a little repelled by the hairy trunks so I guess to each her own)

I asked Andrew about how he went about compiling the list of problem plants he addresses in the book. Here’s what he had to say…

“You might have noticed a few categories, in no particular order:
  • Plants like roses that tend to be problematic because they get pests or diseases that require unsustainable inputs of time, maintenance, fertilizer, chemicals, etc.
  • Plants that only have one season of interest, especially when there are underused alternatives that do something similar in one season, but do other cool stuff the rest of the year.
  • Plants that aren't hardy or don't thrive in or some significant portion of North America, like agave not overwintering in-ground in really cold, wet regions (oh, how I wish it would), or peony where it's hot.
  • Plants that are considered invasive species in some significant portion of North America. Scotch broom in the Northwest, for example.
  • Plants that are often pegged as boring or overused, like hostas, for better or worse.
  • Plants that have plenty of redeeming value but are looked down on because, say, they're so tough they get planted at gas stations. Yep, this is my beloved yucca.”

Thank god he see's beyond the Yucca's "gas station" reputation! I do love the problem/alternative section, there is so much information packed onto each page, and pictures too. The one puzzling thing is that Andrew gently urges his readers to get comfortable using a plants botanical name (and rightfully so), pointing out the confusion that can arise from the use of common names. But then the layout of the problem/alternative section puts the common name at the top of the page (prominent placement) with the botanical name appearing underneath in very small print, very small. Odd.

So did I find an alternative for a problem plant in my garden? No not right away, mainly because I don’t really have any problem plants I want to replace, after-all I collect problem plants! I was however thinking about the book the day after I took cuttings of my Blue Senecio. I walked into the back garden and instead of seeing the lovely chalky blue on the left echoing the blue of my Melianthus on the right (and in the foreground, also on the right, the Echium wildpretii)…

I saw just this, a green hole…

I started thinking about what I could plant there that would give me the same look year round. I wanted something that popped with color and had a similar shape to the chalk sticks (which are not hardy here in Zone 8). That’s when it hit me. What plant have I recently been pining over that has nearly that same powder blue, and also includes the golden tones of the Hakonechloa under the Melianthus? Yep, I bought another Yucca ‘Bright Star.'

How about another one? (this is fun!) Asparagus densiflorus (Asparagus fern) is enjoying resurgence in popularity, yet it’s not hardy to temperatures much below 25F. What plant could replicate the soft, fluffy fox-tail like spears of the Asparagus fern? How about a Grevillea that’s hardy to 15F? When posting photos of my Grevillea juniperina 'Molonglo' last week I noticed it had a definite resemblance …

So for me the best part of this book might not be the actual substitutes presented within, but the way it gets me thinking about my plant choices. And that’s a very good thing!

Want more? If you’re planning to attend the Northwest Flower and Garden Show in Seattle this February Andrew is speaking on Thursday afternoon and Friday morning. No doubt he’ll be pulling case studies from the book, and something tells me he’s got a pretty wicked sense of humor too, I plan to catch at least one of his talks. Oh yes, and time for the disclaimer…Timber Press sent me a review copy of this book (yes free), but I was under no obligation to say nice things. If I didn't like it I wouldn't have written a review...

23 comments:

  1. Sounds like an interesting book, a little dose of reality for us in the zonal denial crowd along with some possible solutions to our "problem." Reparative therapy; can it work? Really, I'd like to change, my solanum quitoense grew really big this summer and ripped my curtains to shreds in the upstairs room where it's spending the winter and brushing the ceiling. I need help. Thank you Mr. Keys

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    1. Wow...plants destroying curtains...maybe it really is time to admit you have a problem. I think the closest I've ever came to that was the time the agave I was over-wintering in our bedroom (it had great light in there!) stabbed Andrew and drew blood.

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  2. A very perceptive, and helpful review. Sometimes I pin garden-related stuff on Pinterest simply because it gets me thinking. I love books that do that too.

    So you decided to try another Yucca 'Bright Star"? Didn't you kill a couple? I hope it thrives for you, and that you found the right spot. I have three and I love them.

    That's a gorgeous Trachycarpus in your neighbor's garden. I love their bare, hairy trunks. They work in a narrow space, like that spot close to your neighbor's house.

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    1. Wow, those are harsh words Alison! I would prefer to think that my other Y. 'Bright Star' died...as opposed to my "killing a couple"...

      After the blog post where I mentioned my bad luck so many people reported positive experiences that I decided to try it again. Especially when I read Mark & Gaz say how hard it could be to place in the garden...that's when I realized it would be just perfect for this spot.

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    2. Oh Loree, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound harsh. I was thinking of that saying about how you're not really a gardener until you've killed the same plant three times.

      Forgive me for speaking without really thinking...?

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    3. And of course I hope you know I was just harassing you because I could...it really didn't upset me (if it did then I'd be kind of a lame-o wouldn't I?)...

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  3. Wow, sounds controversial ... windmills look best in your neighbours garden = sad. Not true! I happen to be a fan of the hairy trunks and there are those who strip their trachy to expose the a skinny and slender trunk. But I like that he suggested your dasylirion and defends the yucca. I heard someone call them "yucky yucca." I told them they were offensive.

    But best of all is your comment about collecting a garden of problem plants with no desire to play the substitutionary hardiness game (a thought I've had for a recent blog post). I LOOOOOOOOOVE your new yucca bright star!!!

    PS: I dreamed I planted echiums and that they were blooming! I think its a sign!

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    1. I've seen some of those stripped trunks, they look so sad and defenseless to me.

      Regarding your blooming Echiums as a premonition...have I mentioned I'm starting to worry? No frost and it's December! I just don't want some crazy arctic blast to hit before the plants have been hardened off. But then if we could avoid a freeze all winter...well I think you know how happy I would be!

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  4. What I really want to know is what zone Andrew Keys gardens in and what his climate is like year-round. His location is bound to color his perception of "problem plants" and inform his "solution plants", right? I'm also slightly aghast that he considers Trachys problem plants. So what to grow instead? Guess I'll just have to buy the book!

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    1. Andrew is in New England, Boston I believe, and born and raised in the Deep South (both these factoids from the book). And yes definitely his personal experience has to play a part. That's why I asked him how he came up with the list. He also is a garden designer so I imagine he's heard a lot of clients tales of what they wish they could grow and problem plants.

      While I definitely think you would enjoy reading the book I'll also answer your question (spoiler alert!)...
      1. Aralia spinosa
      2. Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina) I loved this substitute! I've always kind of thought it had a palms gracefulness.
      3. Needle Palm (Rhapidophyllum hystrix) which I had never heard of before, turns out it's a short little bushy thing...the opposite of a tall Trachy.

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  5. A very witty, and gently humorous book review! But I did laugh when I read the bit about 'after-all I collect problem plants', how true (in a good way) but that's 'danger gardening' for you, or in an even broader terms 'gardening on the edge of hardiness'.

    That's one of the good things about reading books and book reviews, the contents may not be directly relevant to the reader but it does help in influencing thoughts and how one arrives over a decision. Yucca 'Bright Star' is definitely worth trying again, especially as it does tick the two boxes you needed for that spot. And so does the Grevillea. Sometimes the way to go is via clever substitutions :)

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    1. Glad you got the humor...I was worried some wouldn't get it. And you guys played a part in the Yucca purchase too. As I said in my reply above to Allison, reading how you've found it kind of hard to place in the garden got me to thinking about how that quality was exactly what I needed...so thank you! Now I just hope this one lives...

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  6. Problem plants lists really are going to be different for different regions, and ultimately also reflect personal likes and dislikes. The rational as a garden designer or writer to offer solutions for problems is a good one in principle, but will tend to be generic if attempting to cover a region as vast/varied as the USA. I wonder how much it will capture the attention of obsessive/compulsive plant collectors, as our whole modus operandi is not quite in sync with making gardening easier, is it?

    I can see Andrew's point about Trachycarpus fortunei planted singly often looking like telephone poles as they get older, one could say the same thing about Washingtonia robusta palms. They often do look more interesting at a distance or in your neighbor's garden, or in the case of the Washingtonia, as a skyline palm for the neighborhood to enjoy. I'd never plant a Mexican Fan Palm in my own garden, but love them dearly as a neighborhood feature. I tend to find it more interesting to plant the Trachycarpus as a pair, one taller and one shorter, to avoid that telephone pole look. I also quite like the look when the hairy trunks are stripped of their fur; the rings/colors of the trunk can be quite striking in shades of tans, blues and greens. Here's one I gave the Brazilian wax treatment to: http://www.flickr.com/photos/20217462@N02/4465428906/

    David in Berkeley

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    1. Oh now see I love the palm in your photo...but I also think a huge part of why it works is because of where it is and the overall design of the home/garden. Up here in the PNW it just looks like it needs that fuzzy sweater to stay warm!

      I agree (and think Andrew would too) about problems being regional and personal...and also that collector isn't ever going to want the easy alternative (at least while "her" back is still strong enough to haul around containers...).

      On a side note I now know exactly which David you are in Berkeley and I must say I've spent many an hour looking at your gorgeous designs and plantings. In fact I feel myself being drawn back to flickr right now...

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  7. Oh boy, I see the pot is stirring already! Is it weird to comment on a review of your own book? Maybe, but since I comment here all the time anyway, I figured it would be weirder not to. I am, however, just going to pop in to say a huge THANK YOU for reviewing, the intro cracked me up, and then I'm going to leave the pot to simmer? Boil? Call the kettle black? That last one may be the most fitting, since this book was born out of my own penchant for trying to grow "problem plants." I will see you in Seattle, and in the comments here in the meantime!

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    1. Looking forward to Seattle (February can't get here soon enough as far as I'm concerned)...and I see you've got a new Garden Confidential podcast out too, invasives! That's bound to be a little controversial...just can't stay on the safe side of things can you?

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  8. Opinionated garden writers are always the most fun and thought-provoking to read. I'm sold.

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    1. Gosh I take that almost like a challenge to up my opinions and get edgy! Uhmmm...what to write about...

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  9. However much one has learnt there is always so much more out there and books like this lead us down the pathway to perfect harmony in the garden. I could take a lesson from all he has to say but which one of us is not trying desperately to grow something they shouldn't. I would give a caveat to the dasylirion, however. This is a big plant in central Texas and a beauty but it does have to be in the right place. I originally had it in my front garden where it grew to this enormously dangerous size. It then went on to send up babies around it which completely ruined the look set by the single plant. I enlisted the help of my under-gardener to remove and literally threw it outside in the wild place. I should have been more thoughtful as to where I threw it because it was no over and done with and promptly took root and has never been happier.

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    1. Interesting to read about your dasylirion experience Jenny! I've had several in the ground for years. The oldest dates back to 2006 and it's maybe triple the size it was when I planted it. Just a small thing back then and still on the small side. Interesting what our different climates do to the same plant!

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  10. I love your review. . . I confess to being one of those who gets snobby about all the gas station plants, though of course we won't hold that against Yucca. It's hardly Yuc's fault.
    Hey, so excited that you're going to be at the 2013 fling! I'm hoping to make it, myself. Great when it's so close.

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    1. Being able to drive to the fling definitely helps to keep the costs down! Now I'm just hoping the hotel isn't too expensive, it would be great to meet you!

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