Back Yard Woodland
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The Before
The Before
Taking Our Yard Back!
Taking Our Yard Back!
The woods behind the house are encroaching further and further. The plan is to cut back the weeds, branches and saplings to our original line. We found a dog tie on a tree about 6 feet in - that's how far its encroached in 20 years! Our little lighthouse kept moving!
This east-facing area is a challenge as most of it is woodland full shade. It is also a floodplain - very moist except July. The plan is to use this space for woodland native plants that will thrive. Plus, we don't have a lot of money to spend. We are going to do some foundation plants as the wildflowers/woodland plants hopefully get started and help crowd out weeds.
In this before image, we've already pruned lots of overhanging branches/vines and have more to do including removing a lot of weed saplings. The leaf line shows how far it came.
The shorter trees in front had a vine literally choking them and taking over. And I think they are weed trees. (Yes, identified as common buckthorn, highly invasive).
2024 Native/Woodland
2024 Native/Woodland
Pickup on May 18th/19th. My hope is to add these and hope they spread! We'll see.
Shade:
Woodland Phlox (sm)
Virginia Bluebells
Leather Wood Fern
Cardinal Flower
Great Blue Lobelia
Ostrich ferns (already have)
Coral bells (move - spot too sunny)
Partial Sun/Full sun
Oakleaf Hydrangeas (already have)
Weigalas (full)
Marsh Marigold (wet full to part)
Meadow Anemone (wet)
Prairie Dropseed (full)
Bee Balm (full tall)
Columbine (m)
Woodland Sunflower (tall partial)
Reflections for 2024
We will organize this better based on what returns - last year was experiment. We much prefer massing one kind vs. hodge podge.
Clear next 2-3 feet in March/April.
Rent the edger to do a better edge
Sow crimson clover to replenish the soil with nitrogen
Remove the creeping charlie as it poisons soil around it
Plant a couple colorful smaller trees like prairifire crabapple (may delay to 2025 due to cicadas)
Don't plant coral bells here as rabbits love them
Plant the royal ferns that we grew last year in pots.
Plan to seed/plant more cosmos, rudbeckia, zinnias, hollyhocks, poppies. Move one rudbeckia from the front garden?
September 2023. The left is more full sun, the right more partial shade in practicality. The zinnias and blue asters kept blooming through October. We didnt end up chopping the buckthorn trees yet due to other stressors.
August 2023. We planted hostas and coral bells along with ferns,cardinal flowers, indigo, wild hydrangea and marigolds. Still taking hold and seeing what grows. Our coral bells are being eaten! Oh no! So far sweet William and the cardinal flowers are blooming. We need this mostly native/non-invasive garden to thrive on its own in the long term. Its a battle with oxalis, creeping charlie and other weeds.
We are thinking next year, plant additional seeds massed by type. More cardinal flowers for sure. If we divide rudbeckia, daisies and liatris some can go here on the north end as well. Bought some hollyhock seed -- but we have 2 wild ones growing too!
We'll see what happens! A work in progress. Year 2 is always better but we got a lot done Year 1!
June 2023. After the front of the house gardens were in good shape, we started on this project. We had done trimming of branches in very early spring along with removal of some saplings. Part II we cleared most of the buckthorn sprouts/saplings, white mulberry saplings and various other weeds. Tried to leave native plants like woodbine, native riverbank grape, wild phlox (one lone one) as they are abundant in this ecosystem. Also found canada goldenrod, Drummonds aster, common blue violet, ground ivy, bittersweet/black nightshade, motherwort, false rhubarb, siberian elm, red maple. Some of them we could not save due to how situated and tried to save nothing that was not native.
The buckthorn trees and remaining white mulberry sapling will hopefully be gone with the chainsaw soon when we have a better chance of success but will be a battle. We found out the vine was actually wild grape, a native.
Tilled about 1/2 the area as it was hard clay and then planted and seeded with partial shade wildflower seed. All 50 sunflower seedlings were eaten! But good news our seeds began to germinate right away!
We still have lots of weeds sprouting, and the clover and creeping charlie is having a day.
Some of our natives, wildflowers and volunteers
Some of our natives, wildflowers and volunteers
Smooth Hydrangea
Smooth Hydrangea
Bought two wild hydrangeas. Grows 3-6' feet high and 3-8' wide. Does well on woodland edge and in partial shade. It will also sucker profusely which is fine by me. I simply love hydrangeas.
Ostrich Fern
Ostrich Fern
Grows well in shaded woodlands. 3-4' feet wide and tall. Likes moist soil. Spreads easily through underground rhizomes. We bought five so far.
Cardinal Flowers
Cardinal Flowers
Native with some vibrant color and does well in shade.
Grows 3-4 feet tall. Plant 18-24" apart. Will spread rapidly. We bought 5.
Yellow Wild Indigo
Yellow Wild Indigo
These are for areas that are sunnier and can handle potential drought. Grows 12-24" inches high and 24-48" wide. We have five. These are early bloomers that then seed profusely.
Red Dogwood Shrub
Red Dogwood Shrub
These are for areas that are sunnier and can handle potential drought. Grows 12-24" inches high and 24-48" wide.
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