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Gardens are fun! A beautiful garden doesn’t have to be a full-time job. By using thrifty methods and growing the appropriate plants, anyone can have a beautiful and flourishing garden!
You don’t need to live in the country to have a garden either. Gardens can be made in even the smallest of spaces, such as a rooftop garden, sidewalk tree lines, and small front or back yard spaces.
What is a microclimate?
What is a microclimate?
A microclimate is an area of your property that has unique environmental qualities. Different areas of your property may have different microclimates. It depends on the area’s relationship to environmental characteristics such as sun and shade, its surroundings, and moisture. It is possible to have multiple microclimates right next to one another, or to have a different microclimate in the front and back of your home.
Having a successful and low-maintenance garden requires growing the right plants for your garden. To ensure the success of your plants, it is essential to determine your garden's microclimate. Plants will be happiest in environments that meet their specific needs. Happy plants mean less work for you!
If you don’t want to worry about the plants at all, grow wildflowers from your area. Seeds of wildflowers can be bought locally. Another option is to grow drought-tolerant plants that do well with minimal watering.
Determining your microclimate
Observe:
Sunlight/Shade
Heat
Moisture
Wind
Materials of the surrounding area (against a fence, cement, wood, metal, grass), examples include:
o Fences or walls may trap heat or protect an area from wind
Buildings, roads, sidewalks, cement walls, or any structures made of concrete, brick, or stone trap heat
o Large trees provide shade, large roots of some trees may make it difficult to grow plants nearby
o South-facing walls are sunny and warm
o The shady side of a wall, fence, or more open areas are cooler
Tips on how to determine garden characteristics:
1. Observe where snow melts the earliest = warmest area
2. See where frost remains the longest = coolest area
3. See how long an area stays moist after rain
The presence of moss or mushrooms indicate that an area is moist
4. Observe where moss is growing (moss only grows in highly moist places)
5. Observe where your pets like to rest outside (in the summer =coolest area, in the winter = warmest area)
6. A site under eaves will have very dry soil, while an area near a downspout may be constantly damp.
After you have determined your microclimates you can begin to think of your garden in terms of these characteristics. Do you have an area that is full sun, hot, dry? Shady, cool and moist? Something in between? With these microclimates in mind, you should next choose plants that are most suitable to these environments.
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