The Hazards of Country Life
By Elaine Koss
Red pine and hammock.
During the last eighteen years I have put in pseudo-English mixed-border gardens, working from dawn to dusk on weekends in a single-minded, joyful spirit in Columbia County, about 100 miles north of New York City in the Hudson Valley. In all weather, I wear a light-colored, long-sleeved shirt, tucked into pale long trousers, tucked into long socks. This clothing can be uncomfortable in the high temperatures we often get in summer. The body that goes into these clothes is smeared with a product that purportedly protects the wearer from ticks, which are rampant in this area. Deer ticks infected by the bacterium Borrelia burgdor feci transmit the infamous Lyme disease (which I have contracted twice).
Outfitted in my anti-tick gear, I set out to put in those plants that the deer don’t eat (vegetables are out of the question): barberry, astilbe, columbine, spirea, hydrangea, iris, heuchera, lilac, coreopsis, sedum, peony, and most ornamental grasses. What the deer don’t eat, the groundhogs will.
Of greater concern to me than Lyme disease is poison ivy, which the deer don’t seem to be attracted to and which grows along the edges of our property. I get a serious rash from exposure to the plant at least once a season, despite the fact that I smooth on a protective anti-ivy cream; wear gloves; and use a wonderful product named Tecnu on exposed areas after gardening, which seems to protect me after my initial annual case.
Outfitted in my anti-tick gear, I set out to put in those plants that the deer don’t eat (vegetables are out of the question): barberry, astilbe, columbine, spirea, hydrangea, iris, heuchera, lilac, coreopsis, sedum, peony, and most ornamental grasses. What the deer don’t eat, the groundhogs will.
Of greater concern to me than Lyme disease is poison ivy, which the deer don’t seem to be attracted to and which grows along the edges of our property. I get a serious rash from exposure to the plant at least once a season, despite the fact that I smooth on a protective anti-ivy cream; wear gloves; and use a wonderful product named Tecnu on exposed areas after gardening, which seems to protect me after my initial annual case.
In general, the deer don't eat irises.
Although the threat of Lyme disease and poison ivy is ever present, the severest challenge to my equanimity outside is the invasive Japanese knotweed (Polygonum cuspidatum). Its roots travel underground, and I surmise that the only way of getting rid of it would be to bulldoze the lot and put cement down. Intuition tells me that the shoots would push through the cement every spring.
Japanese knotweed looks a bit like bamboo: it flowers in late summer and dies back over the cold months. It has taken over the steep bank between the garden and the lower level of our property, which borders a creek. I know I could never get rid of it all, and in fact I fear that the bank would fall down if all the knotweed disappeared. I just wish it would stay out of the borders that contain the few plants that the deer don’t dine on.
Japanese knotweed looks a bit like bamboo: it flowers in late summer and dies back over the cold months. It has taken over the steep bank between the garden and the lower level of our property, which borders a creek. I know I could never get rid of it all, and in fact I fear that the bank would fall down if all the knotweed disappeared. I just wish it would stay out of the borders that contain the few plants that the deer don’t dine on.
Trumpet, Elaine's late golden retriever, used to scare the deer off. Her son's dog has taken over the business, although he is only an occasional visitor. Here, the side garden in summer.
I think I’ve reached an understanding with the ecosystem that surrounds our house. It allows me to muck about in it if I’m careful, and after a weekend of hard labor I begin to see some pleasing results. I’m humble but not yet humiliated. By July I relax a little and start wearing T shirts. I’m still afraid to wear shorts, which is just as well. By August my primary concern is whether I should put sunscreen on top of the poison ivy block and then use the tick spray or layer up in a different order.
Despite the challenges, I adore being outdoors, transferring old and trying new plants, knowing that I am doing something healthful and extremely rewarding.
Despite the challenges, I adore being outdoors, transferring old and trying new plants, knowing that I am doing something healthful and extremely rewarding.
Elaine's property is full of beautiful old trees. This London plane tree is gorgeous even without leaves.
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This Japanese maple was a gift to thank Elaine and her husband for hosting a family wedding here.
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