My most ambitious project yet, a woodland garden, has begun in earnest. The woodland is a triangular area of the property that is completely overgrown. The original owners had horses in this area (I have found full size and pony size horse shoes while digging in the yard). The fence, except for a decorative section on one side of the triangle has disappeared. The area has been neglected for decades and is crowded with trees, weeds, bushes, and vines. It is a formidable task!
Through researching books and online reading about restoring woodland areas, most people are in agreement about the best ways to start – identify the plants and trees, remove the invasive species, and open up the floor of the wooded area to allow native species to return by pruning and removing trees. In theory this sounds quite simple. However, because I will be doing the bulk of the work – with occasional help from Andrew, and I don’t want to spend a fortune, I must bite off a little at a time.
The triangular area comprises about one-third of an acre – not huge, but still good sized. The surrounding area, on two sides of the triangle, is at a higher elevation, resulting in the woodland being known by the neighbors as “the swamp.” I don’t know about you, but ever since I was a kid I have seen countless movies about what lurks in overgrown forests and swamps!
What lurks in my woodland? A fox, snakes, countless birds, worms, insects of all varieties and who knows what else. Snakes in particular are not my favorite woodland creature and I have been somewhat reluctant to delve in and become even more intimate with them.
Of equal concern to the snakes is one of my least favorite plants, which grows rampant in the woodland – on the floor and up the trees, poison ivy! Until I moved here last year I had never encountered poison ivy. The plant and its side effects are now well known to me as I try to eradicate it from the property. In addition to the poison ivy, a vine called bittersweet grows everywhere. Bittersweet has the distinction of being able to quickly grow up a tree trunk, encircle itself around the trunk and like a boa constrictor, squeeze the trunk so tight, as it grows, that the tree dies. They are vicious vines and difficult to kill.
Setting aside my qualms about snakes and poison ivy, I have made some progress on the periphery. Using a dry stack stone technique, I have made an entrance to the garden. This entrance is directly across from the front door, so I wanted to have something with a little bit of style, while still maintaining a rustic woodland appearance. I opted for a small curved wall that rises to create a slight pedestal. Eventually, I will place larger urns on the pedestals to call attention to the entrance. From this entrance, I envision a path, covered in wood chips, leading into and throughout the garden.
This week I again used stone, on a much larger scale, to create an entrance on the second side of the triangle (the third side will not have an entrance as it backs up to a neighbor’s property). I was particularly keen on landscaping this area as my neighbors look directly out their front door into the unkempt woodland. They are wonderful people, with a 10 month old son. When he is older I want him to enjoy the woodland.
My plans for the future are to eliminate as many invasive bushes and plants as possible. Chinese Honeysuckle bushes are everywhere, blocking the light and killing any native species. I will remove all of these. Poison Ivy will of course by reduced and hopefully eliminated. Downed branches and trees will in some instances be removed and in others strategically placed. My initial thought was to clear the woodland floor of these downed branches and trees entirely, however rotting branches form an integral part of a woodland. My goal will be to leave as much as possible on the floor to rot and provide nourishment to the remaining trees and plants. In some places there are too many branches, necessitating removal of extras. Woodland paths will be laid out after the invasive plants are cleared.
Water flows, albeit at a trickle during the driest of seasons, through the garden. I will deepen the stream bed to promote drainage and clear any clogged areas. The stream terminates at an underground drain. This tends to get clogged if there is too much water. Additional drainage work will be in the offing in a future year – maybe even a small retaining pond will be constructed to help with runoff.
After all the basics are in place, I will begin to introduce more native plants into the woodland. It would be nice to see it blooming in the spring. Jack in the pulpit, skunk cabbage and other native plants are currently thriving in the environment. With the right coaxing, many others are sure to grow.
It will take me years. The hard work will be worth it to see this neglected area come to life. If I am successful it should look more attractive and support a wider variety of birds and wildlife.
I would like to hear your thoughts about a woodland garden, especially if you have made one. Please leave comments.