Garden solutions: Soil, moss, and more

Since the soil in our high-country area is naturally acidic, soil amendment is a much-discussed subject in many area garden situations. The many trees with which we are blessed admittedly create much of this situation, and newcomers especially seek out answers.

While large-scale landscaping is not too much of a problem, especially if native and/or wild trees and shrubs are used, smaller, ornamental gardens seem to give pause to many people.

Some preferred perennials and annuals prefer alkaline soils, and amendment of soil in a small garden space is eminently doable, but when one gets into larger areas, the cost — and effort — can be alarming. In an upcoming column, the Bonner County Gardeners’ As’sn. President Gray Henderson will be providing information on soils and amendments. For today, I will simply address what some persons call the “problem” of acidic/mossy areas.

In earlier columns on this subject, I have pointed out that once can always work with what one has. If you can’t afford to amend your soil, you have three basic choices: Raised beds, pot-planting, or making do with what you have.

As a native of this area, I never understood what the problem was — or that it was a problem! I once wrote “Acid soil — what’s the worry? Moss? hooray! If that’s what you have, work with it”! I still feel the same way.

I’ve never understood why people wanted to “get rid” of their moss. It’s beautiful — mossy rocks and logs make for gorgeous backdrops as well as tuck-in plantings. My mossy, shady little hideaway garden path wanders through moss-planted Digitalis (foxglove), Aconitum (monkshood), Brunnera (pictured), Tiarella (foam flower), Huechera (Coral bells), Hosta, Ferns, Hellebore,Oriental (water-loving) Iris, Pulmonaria, Astilbe, and a host of native “encroachers” welcomed with open arms. These include Dewberry, Bloodroot, Solomon’s seal, trillium, Turk’s cap lily, Sweet Autumn Clematis, and many more — all growing happily in the rocky, mossy soil. Another bonus is the apparent contentment of three young cedar trees planted from tiny sprigs that have made it to over six feet tall — regardless of the area deer’s apparent taste for their succulent branches.

An additional revelation was the fact that there are no weeds in the mossy areas. Why would this be? Plenty of lovely natives insert themselves from time-to-time, but nary a weed! Whatever the reason, I’m grateful, and perhaps my experience can encourage a reader or two to reconsider ridding themselves of that beautiful moss!

By the way, the afore-mentioned Hosta is, as we all know, a beacon for slugs. They seem to like the moss that nurtures the Hostas just fine, and for a time I couldn’t think what to use to deter them without harming the moss. Then I remembered blood meal as being a good all-around soil nourisher, while at the same time deterring deer, rabbits, raccoons — and slugs!

On another note, I decided to intersperse my many Hostas with Coral bells, Dicentra (bleeding heart) and Aquilegia (columbine) — all spurned by deer, to see if it would keep the ravenous feeders from eating them. Yes, deer love Hosta, and if you want to plant them anyway, you now have the answer (as do I) — interplanting and blood meal! Coincidentally, all the other plants mentioned earlier do not seem to be of interest to deer — so plant them with (reasonable) assurance.

To get more information on soils/amendment, call the experts on the subject. The afore-mentioned BCGA number is 265-2070 (message phone); the office is located at 401 Bonner Mall Way, Suite F, Ponderay, ID, 83852.

Email inquiries to bcgardeners@gmail,com. The Bonner County Extension office phone is 263-8511.The building is located on the right at the Bonner County Fairgrounds, 4205 N. Boyer Road, Sandpoint.