After the extreme dry conditions of summer 2022, one would think that this past summer’s heavy rain would be most welcome. But with over 20 inches of rain in a three-month period, sometimes too much of a good thing isn’t so great. It was the Boston area’s second heaviest rainfall total since 1955. This type of weather is to be expected as climate change continues. Warmer air holds more moisture, leading to “atmospheric rivers” that can fall all at once or over a long period of time.
Due to this increased rainfall, our colonial revival gardens have taken a beating. Prolonged periods of high moisture allow for all sorts of pathogens and fungi to thrive in the soil. These pathogens threaten the plants in our garden, especially the nonnative ones that are less hardy and require more diligent care. Fortunately, our longtime gardener, Robyn Kanter, has done her best to stave off these diseases and nurture the plants that can thrive in these more extreme conditions. Unfortunately, these efforts have not been enough, and stronger measures have been required.
In November, we tried to solve this problem in one of our beds by replacing all the soil. In the rest of the beds, we plan to cover the beds with black tarps to heat the soil up and kill the pathogens. Between these two approaches, we hope to keep the soil diseases at bay. We do know, however, that this battle will continue as long as extreme weather conditions persist. This issue is not only affecting The Gables. At the 2023 “Preservation in Changing Climate” conference, Joann Vieira, Director of Horticulture at The Trustees of Reservations, spoke of similar problems occurring at many Trustees’ properties. Meanwhile, the USDA plant hardiness maps were recently updated to show that climate conditions for gardening in Massachusetts have shifted to a warmer zone.
As stewards of historic gardens and landscapes, we must find ways to adapt as climate conditions shift. We aim to continue the historic legacy of our colonial revival gardens while also looking for responsible solutions, like beginning to plant hardy native plants where possible, and finding better ways to manage rainwater on site.
