I have come into a WONDERFUL opportunity for us all to learn how just one person
can make a great change for the better an help add one more backyard that wildlife can call home. My friend Kelsey has so
generously offered her yard to be a project house for the site!! Basically, there is a blank canvas to work from...imagine
the possibilities!!!
As you can see front he before pictures, there is minimal plant life. The previous owners
left a flower bed in the front with a flowering almond, a burning bush and some Asiatic lilies. In the backyard there is a
nicely arranged flower bed structure with nothing in it but mulch.
So...where do we start...???
First, I took inventory of what we have to
start with. I looked around at all the plants and hard-scape. I observe the trees and their placement relative to the sun's
path. Since it is early spring, I make some assumptions as to how the trees will fill out in the summer, so I can understand
the sunlight patterns. This will help me determine the plants that will be in the plan.
There are many wonderful older trees in her yard which makes most of the areas shady
or partial shade.
I draw up a diagram of the yard showing all of the buildings, beds and hard-scaping.
I sit down with her and we talk about style and maintenance issues. I made up a fun quiz
for her to take to determine how much time she wants to spend in the garden for up keep. I also ask what her favorite colors
are and some plants that she likes. What came out of the quiz is that she would like a nice mixture of trees, shrubs and foliage
with splashes of color in a few areas. She likes minimal maintenance and would like to build a wildlife habitat. She loves
iris and the colors pink, purple and green.
OK...now that we know her garden personality and desires for
a habitat, we can start dreaming...I mean planning.
Like me, Kelsey is not a millionaire or heiress, so keeping a tight reign on the checkbook
is essential. What we are going to do is to start purchasing a few of the larger plants and shrubs now. Then, in the fall,
we will purchase some more. Luckily for Kelsey, I have purchased a lot of seeds this year, and I plan to share them with her.
I also have a few plants that have been multiplying so I will share some of those with her also. Most of my seeds are annuals,
so those can be placed in pots for some instant color.
Let's start in the front. She would like to make a corner bed by the driveway and
road. I suggested she plant in mass color for more "pop". Drivers, cyclist, bees and butterflies will be more attracted
by one mass of color than a mix of several colors (although there is no right or wrong answer here- it is personal preference).
This project will be placed as a lower priority, and possibly be done next year.
In the bed close to the house,
there is a beautiful flowering almond and burning bush. She noticed a purple barberry bush at her neighbors house and would
love to include something like that in her plans. I mentioned there is also a lime green version, and we could alternate it
in the bed. So far, the line up will be a lime barberry, purple barberry, flowering almond, purple barberry, lime barberry
and the burning bush.
There are already some Asiatic lilies planted in between where we will plant the bushes,
but we shouldn't have to move them for a year or two based on the spacing and growth rates of the barberry bushes.
OK...now on to the backyard. What a wonderful shady backyard! As we were talking,
four little baby squirrels were playing in a maple tree above us. they kept tossing clumps of helicopters down to us. How
cute! It was SO hard to concentrate on the garden plans with the entertainment above us.
There is a bed under
the two maples about 4' deep. Right now there are 3 junipers. I think we will move one of the junipers back in a grouping
with the other two and add in two yews on the left side for year round greenery. It is shaded and protected in this corner.
There are a couple hostas that we may have to reposition as well. In between the two trees she would like to place a covered
swing. She already has a wood pile in this bed, and I told her that it makes a wonderful shelter for all sorts of critters.
There is a wonderfully edged, enormous bed to the left of her deck. Right now
it is only filled with mulch. We discussed a woodland look, much like the bed to the left of her deck. Before I noticed where
her water pipe was, I had a great location for a species tree or bush. But due to not wanting to create an issue for her,
we had to scrap that idea. She likes hostas, so I suggested those, and adding some ferns and cranesbill geraniums. (I have
several babies that I will donate to the project).
She also likes hydrangeous so we will add one or two of those.
She has a very nice air conditioner (did you catch the sarchasm?) creating an eyesore right in the middle of the bed by her
house. I suggested her carpenter-ly inclined husband make a nice lattice screen and place around it. Add a few plants around
the lattice screen and voila...an eye sore is gone!
Kelsey mentioned that she has ants in the woodland area by the house. I suggested
she plant the herb pennyroyal around those areas to help keep them at bay.
As you are looking off the porch
in the back right side corner, she would like to add a large arch covered with grape vines. From the arch, she plans to hang
a hummingbird feeder or two. That will be so gorgeous once the grape vines have filled out and cover the arch. And the grapes
will provide yummy food for the birds.
OK...let's stop here and review what we have done (or will do) to make sure
it is in line with what Kelsey wants. We have several beds with low maintenance shrubs. In the front, we've incorporated
her colors of pink (flowering almond and petunias), purple (barberry) and green (barberry and foliage). They will provide
shelter for wildlife and protection for the home. In the back we have low maintenance shrubs and plants. The evergreen yews
will provide year round shelter for wildlife.
It looks like we are still on track, but it doen't hurt
to double check a few times during the process.
Now for the fun part...COLOR! All along the fence in the back, she would like
to have flowers and plants that would bring in the birds, butterflies and bees. Since there are SO many options, I gave her
a couple books to look at so she can pick out some of her favorites.
To make a habitat for wildlife, you need to make sure to have food, water, shelter
and a place to raise their young. For additional food options, Kelsey will hang up the hummingbird feeder and a tube feeder.
Also, we will add one or two birdbaths in the beds. Her talented husband plans to make a few bird houses to place around the
yard as well.
