Names are arbitrary and this is certainly true for the names we use to describe areas in our yard. With so many different areas it is helpful to have distinct names so that Andrew and I can more easily discuss them. Naming each area provides us with an ability to be creative and in some instances take license. The final project for this gardening season is the “secret garden.” In many ways it is not a secret at all. It is in the middle of the garden. It is readily visible, at least now and anyone can enter it. The reason for the name is that the garden is a secret area the deer cannot reach (at least we hope they will not break into it).
The area behind the tea house was overgrown with catalpa seedlings, poison ivy and other weeds. It needed to be cleared but I could not decide what to do with it. Seeing some beautiful Hydrangea convinced me I wanted to create an area in the woodland garden that I could fence in for planting things deer like to eat.
This part of the garden is wet, which is why the catalpa seedlings took root. I dug up at least 100 catalpa trees in this small area – ranging from 1 foot in height to 6 feet in height. The spring and early summer weather was quite wet, so the entire woodland garden was covered with catalpa and maple seedlings. I have pulled thousands of them this summer.
Digging in the woodland garden is always an adventure. A shovel may go into the ground, or it may not. There are so many rocks buried on the property every attempt at digging is different. The stones lining the newly built path came from leveling the ground to make the path. I initially thought it might be easy to just shift a little dirt however I soon encountered large stones. While it is a lot of work to extract them, the reward has been a nice edging for the path.
Entrances into the secret garden are made from trees cut down elsewhere on the property. These upright posts were from Norway maple trees cut down earlier in the year. Norway maples are an invasive tree in our region. They are prolific growers and force out other native trees. These were originally growing near a Japanese Umbrella pine (I know what you are thinking – that is not native) and in order to preserve the pine I had the Norway maples cut down.
Two entrances were constructed, allowing the visitor to be able to walk through the garden along a crescent shaped path. The gates were constructed from branches trimmed and fallen from trees around the yard. A simple wire deer fence is intended to keep the deer at bay.
In the secret garden I have planted rhododendrons, hydrangeas, huecheras, and hostas. Over the past couple of years, I had planted several hydrangeas around the yard. Unfortunately, the deer ate the leaves as soon as they grew large enough to be noticeable. I transplanted these to the secret garden and bought a lovely new lace cap hydrangea. Tulips are another delicacy for deer. We have ordered some lovely tulips to plant in the secret garden. Eventually, I will install a bench behind the tea house and grow vines on the fence, making it less visible and truer to its name – a secret garden.
Autumn colors are brilliant this year. The native spice bushes have all turned yellow, as the other trees begin to change to red and orange. It is truly a spectacular time of year.
In addition to the secret garden, I planted Vanderwolf pine trees (also known as Limber pines). These replaced two dead blue spruce trees I had removed last spring. The needles on these pine trees have a lovely blue hue, so they will be a nice addition to the landscape.
Leaf raking will be a priority in the coming weeks as the leaves are dropping more and more each day. Spring will be eagerly anticipated as I finished planting approximately 3,000 flower bulbs around the yard – 2,000 of which are daffodils.
Autumn is such a lovely time of year in the northeast. Every view is a riot of color, like an impressionist painting. There are so many wonderful quotes about Autumn, I could not pick one. Here are two of my favorites:
“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.”
― Albert Camus
“Fall has always been my favorite season. The time when everything bursts with its last beauty, as if nature had been saving up all year for the grand finale.”
― Lauren DeStefano
Let us celebrate this grand finale!
This is all wonderful. Thank you for sharing it with us.
Thank you, Suellen. You are kind to read and comment.
I think your secret garden will look fantastic as you are adding on all kinds of exciting things.
Thank you. We have fun creating things. I appreciate you reading the blog.
Good luck with guarding all your newly planted bulbs and plants from the deer, now and in the spring. Daffodils always do well and come in many varieties. It’s always a never ending saga. I’ll be curious to see what happens in the spring.
Thank you, Deborah. We have planted thousands of bulbs in prior years with good results. Deer don’t eat daffodils and they are now growing throughout the property. When we first moved in Judge Berry would count how many were blooming in the neighborhood. He said this past spring he would stop counting because we have too many for him to try to count.
This is going to be a lovely area where only the invited get to come in. 3000 bulbs, yikes! How long did it take you to plant those? It will be gorgeous come Spring.
Thank you, Elaine. It took only 4 days. I worked rather quickly. It is fun to plant knowing the outcome will be beautiful.
Another wonderful project! Can’t wait for more pictures as the plantings mature.
Thank you, Gayle. I am looking forward to seeing the hydrangea grow. Hydrangea the deer kept eating already have put out some new leaves.
Sorry to see that the blue spruce trees had to come down. Under the spruce near the huge maple, I buried my guinea pigs Mimi, Moishe and Patches. Mimi and Moishe had 3 liters and in all, 11 guinea pigs were born in my bedroom. I had a small headstone for M & M and I used to visit them after they were gone. Just stories of what it was like to grow up on that property.