Archive for the ‘Shade Gardening’ Category

Is A Change As Good As A Rest?

June 28th, 2009

The Shade Garden awaiting repairs and changes

The Shade Garden awaiting repairs and changes

 

Like it or not, I’ve been given the challenge of renovating our shade garden. Some changes were inevitable. I knew that. But little did I realize just how many changes were in store!

 

Our tiny village has finally installed a municipal sewage system and every house and business is being hooked into it. This past week, it was our turn.

 

Down came the board fence and gate. We were told the contractor would be here on Friday so I had planned to remove plants growing along the path of the sewer mains on Thursday evening. Upon returning home from work on Wednesday I discovered the contractor in the process of digging up our side yard. So of course I had to go straight to work removing the plants I wanted to save. Read the rest of this entry »

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Another Plant Moving Story

June 7th, 2009

The Shade Garden 2007

The Shade Garden 2007

 

This small village of ours is about to enter the twentieth (yes, twentieth!) century! So long septic systems and hello sewer system! After years of planning, and construction, the municipal sewage system will is nearing completion. Now that homeowners have recovered from the shock of the rather hefty bill we each now owe the Municipality, we get to hand over more cash for the privilege of hooking up to the system and disabling our septic systems. I say privilege, but truth be know, property owners are not being given a choice. Hook up or be hooked up! I’m not complaining, not in the least. I for one am happy to be saying farewell to septic systems and drainage ditches that are ripe with the smell of raw waste. But (you had to know there would be a “but”), what distresses me more than the cost is that fact that my shade garden is about to be severely damaged! Ouch!

 

This weekend has been spent clearing the area for the sewer hook up. Unfortunately, that area is right through the middle of the shade garden and across the front garden. Damages to the front garden I can live with. It was brutalized last year when we had a new roof installed. Knowing the sewers were coming in, we didn’t bother fixing it. As for the front walkway that has to be removed to accommodate the sewer hook up, well, I think I should send a thank you note to the Municipality. That path has been an eyesore for years, and this is just the impetus we needed to reposition it and plant grass seed and shrubs where the walkway is now.

 

But the shade garden! That is breaking my heart! Read the rest of this entry »

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A Weed By Any Other Name…. Is A Flower

June 28th, 2008

HarebellWhen is a weed, not a weed? When it’s pretty and you like it!

A number of years ago, I allowed a mullein to flourish in the herb garden. A visitor remarked on the then five foot high weed that was just coming into flower and suggested I hand him a shovel so he could dig it out for me. When I refused his offer and told him why the mullein was allowed to remain in the garden, he couldn’t have looked more incredulous than if I suggested he cut his right hand off.

Last year we allowed a giant thistle to grow at the back of one of our gardens (homage to Trevor’s Scottish roots). A visitor teased us about being too wimpy to remove it and suggested we try a chemical herbicide. Us!? Wimpy? Chemicals?! When I explained the significance of the thistle, he still didn’t get it, just shook his head in wonderment. Think I heard him mumble something about “Hippies”.

The lawn of our shade garden has one spot that we don’t mow. In that spot grows my absolute favourite flower ever – the Oxeye Daisy. I’ve tried growing it from seed and planting it in a garden, but without success. So I content myself with this one little plant that sprung up in the lawn. Every year we leave that area untouched until the plant has died off.

The foundation of our house has dozens of harebells growing around it. Harebells are yet another plant considered by most to be a weed. I say, how can anything so pretty be a weed? Yes they are invasive, yes they require a lot of thinning to keep them under control, but harebells are so worth it!

Violets of all colours cover our lawns each spring. Do we dig them out? No! Because they are pretty, and we like them. And, we have come to look forward to their presence every May.

Creeping Jenny covers the ditch that runs beside our property. It is another “weed” that is not disturbed because its little yellow flowers are a delight to the eyes.

Black Eyed Susans run rampant on our property. Because they are so sweet and cheerful, a good many of them are allowed to stay, but not all. I fear they would take over the whole place if we didn’t keep them in check.

Virginia Creeper is another weed we grow on purpose. The brilliant red of the leaves in autumn is breath taking and adds some much needed colour as the trees and flowers begin to fade.

Wild grape is allowed to flourish on the twig arbour beside the herb garden. The leaves make a wonderfully dappled shade canopy to sit under when taking a break from working in the garden. The birds love the tiny grapes produced, so that’s another reason to keep it. And the vines are harvested every year to use to decorate the house for autumn and Christmas displays.

So, if you see a weed, and you think it is pretty, why not leave it to grow, flower and flourish? Think of it as added a bit of wildflower gardening to your plot of land.

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Posted in Garden Maintenance, Landscaping, My Garden, Pests and Diseases, Shade Gardening | Comments (1)

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