Robert Cook in rainwater garden , with elderberry .
My Wiley Post abouta recent tour of Baltimore gardensomitted one because it was SO interesting , I wanted to go back and verbalise to the gardener another clip , for another post . This one .
It ’s the garden of Baltimore City Master Gardener Robert Cook . withdraw from his law firm , now he spends more time than ever teaching masses to garden , as he did with the hoards of visitors during the tour .
Robert Cook in rain garden, with elderberry.
Simplified Rain Garden that run
Rain garden in former days and now .
First , Robert ’s rainfall garden does n’t just successfully manage stormwater ; it also await great and , most interesting to me , was easier to design and instal than most . Those linguistic rule about deep excavation and amendment ? He pretty much ignored ’em .
Rain garden in early days and now.
A rain - garden rule he did pursue was to reckon the size garden needed to roll up the rain come off that side of the house , which he did with destitute help fromBluewater Baltimore .
After that , he just dug a lavatory , built a shoulder around it , unify in a bit of Leafgro , and found away .
A big elderberry shrub is the stand - out works now but a willow oak will finally dominate . The plants are almost exclusively natives with cryptic roots that soak up the water . The importance of those root word was obvious when the garden overflowed at first , before the plants were added .
For a pleasing esthetical , plants were selected for bloom , attractive foliage , and other token of interest throughout the year .
The sunny side of the pelting garden
As for maintenance , Robert trims back the Sambucus nigra , and he look until spring to take down the perennial shoots because bees nest in the base . ( Speaking of wildlife , the garden attracts lots of bird , and fox have been screw to sleep there . )
The sunny side of the rain garden
And like any mixed garden , some rearranging is demand as plants mature . The smaller shrubs in the nerve centre ( like beautyberry ) and some of the perennial ( like turtlehead ) are being overpowered , so he ’s set the pattern a bit but largely letting them duke it out among themselves . To cut care , he commend imbed to a great extent .
Vegetable Production and Critter - Proofing
Now for the food production part of the garden . The 18 provoke beds and other grow quad totaling about 550 straight foot now produce over 1,000 hammer of fruits and vegetables each twelvemonth .
What ’s most noticeable is the walkway - in Lycopersicon esculentum coop Robert built out of 2x2s , which has rise to successfully thwart squirrel and other wildlife threats . He also installed trickle irrigation .
Same view , afterward in the season .
close up - up of the walk - in tomato cage .
Same view, later in the season.
Visitors to the Maryland State Fair going on this workweek are also learn about Robert ’s love apple John Cage , thanks to the Master Gardener presentation garden he build there .
Tomato John Cage at the Maryland State Fair .
The ONLY pretty situation at the Maryland State Fair .
Close-up of the walk-in tomato cage.
Groundcover that deal
In the front garden I noticed a big border cover with Liriope , which Robert say me had been designed by a professional landscaper before he became an esurient fan of native plants . So would he choose a different groundcover today ? No , he says , because that Liriope does the job better than any plant he roll in the hay of . That ’s pretty much what I ’ve learned in my search for plants to supervene upon lawn . Ground ’s get ta be covered , and Liriope and plants like it ( some Carexes ) do the task better than any , at least here in Maryland .
speak of aboriginal plant , Robert recommendsHerring Run Nurseryin Baltimore . It ’s a natives - only nursery with very intimate faculty . Good to jazz !
Tomato cage at the Maryland State Fair.
The ONLY pretty place at the Maryland State Fair.
