DATE: Sunday, March 9, 1997                 TAG: 9703080082

SECTION: HOME                    PAGE: G6   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY ROBERT STIFFLER GARDENING COLUMNIST 

                                            LENGTH:   74 lines

SERENE VERNAL EQUINOX GARDEN IS A MUST-SEE

MANY READERS WRITE boasting about their gardens, but one from Paul English of Chesapeake caught my eye.

English writes: ``There's not a prettier backyard vernal equinox garden in Hampton Roads. I would love to show it to you. Bulbs will peak sometime the last few days of March and the first of April. I've 10,000 of them planted, plus azaleas, candytuft and dogwoods.''

I checked it out, and English has earned the right to boast. Other gardeners will have a chance to see for themselves when his garden is open April 19 as part of the Elizabeth River Garden Club tour during Historic Garden Week in Virginia.

Because English has does all the garden work himself, he designed his garden to be low maintenance.

``It's a Japanese style garden, but I've `gaudied' it up,'' he said. ``That explains why you'll find a grape vine and a fig tree in the garden.

``It's really not a Japanese garden, although it has a Japanese flair. I like to play with shape, color, texture, size, water and boulders, trying to build some serenity.''

His garden has both sun and shade, evergreens and deciduous plants. A pond with fish and flowing water add life and action.

Heritage birch trees add height to the garden. One of his more unusual plants is San Gabriel nandina, with a fernlike leaf. There's also a 15-year-old dwarf juniper. One of English's favorites is Crimson Queen Japanese maple.

Two favorite trees are Acer palmatum (lace-leaf maple) and Chamaecyparis obtusa (false cypress). ``You can't have too many of either of them,'' he said.

He also has black bamboo and built a concrete and aluminum walled trench 25 inches deep by 6 inches wide which he hopes will keep the aggressive bamboo within bounds. ``We'll see if it works,'' he said.

English has lived at his current address for 20 years and teaches at Tidewater Community College. He spent two years in Asia, which has influenced his garden.

He uses bamboo fences to divide the garden and hide his compost pile. He refers to his stone paths as ``Japanese fences,'' dividing portions of the garden.

English strongly believes in composting. He uses horse manure as an activator, combined with shredded green material (grass) and shredded brown material (twigs and branches). Water and time are the other secrets to composting success.

``That equals aerobic compost,'' he said. ``Good soil structure increases the capacity of the soil to absorb and retain water. It also prevents erosion and allows plant roots to develop and penetrate.''

In the handout English will have for his garden week visitors, he offers some advice about local growing conditions:

``Gardenias are very temperamental in this area; they may do well for several years but a cold spell will often kill them. The Colorado Blue Spruce can take any amount of winter, but the hot, humid summer is hard on them, especially in the juvenile stage of growth.

``The humidity of the area will also kill Irish Moss as well as most alpine plants. Coreopsis and liriope are two perennials which are hardy to Hampton Roads and prove it with long-lasting blossoms through-out the summer.''

His handout also encourages the use of water and boulders to re-create natural conditions. ``Water represents life, and boulders are a necessity, but they should be `planted' correctly,'' he says.

English's garden is an unusual one for this area, especially in its quiet beauty and serenity. He has combined the mystic of the Orient with the practicality of America. It should be a must on your gardens to visit during Historic Garden Week. ILLUSTRATION: Photo

ROBERT STIFFLER

Paul English's Chesapeake garden will be open April 19 as part of

the Elizabeth River Garden Club tour during Historic Garden Week in

Virginia. KEYWORDS: WEEDER'S DIGEST

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