Planning the Front Yard

Since moving in, I seem to have focused more of my energies and thoughts to the far reaches of the property and less near the house--I think mostly because we still need work done on the outside (soffit & fascia, gutters, paint job, and, hopefully, a covered porch one of these days).

Still, after neglecting it for far too long, I am longing to create more habitat and beauty out front.  I have added things through the years, but few and far between.  Over the years, my vision for the property has become clearer.  Lately, I am thinking about adding some small trees in front of the house--something that, originally, I was trying to avoid.  Lately, I find that I want something beautiful to look at when looking out the front windows.

Today, I began labeling what I already have added...and what I may want to add.  I will post this to Wildlife Gardeners as well...and hopefully get some suggestions for trees (small trees or large shrubs) that I wouldn't have come up with on my own.

This is an aerial shot from last year--mid-to-late summer, I would guess.

Native Habitat Design Plan

Even a week later, I never got around to taking after photos of what I did last weekend.

This weekend, I took the first step to creating a master plan for habitat.  It is not perfect, but this is what I envision the property to look like in the coming years.

I began by drawing in some changes over top of an aerial view 

of the property.  The driveway currently does not extend to the

barn, the stone patio has yet to be extended, and the large pond

 and stream are still in my head. 

The general placement of the trees and shrubs is fairly accurate.  I

plan to add the meadow and its paths.

Winter Reprieve

After the frigid temperatures earlier this week, today was 55 degrees with rain...but I didn't let the rain stop me. :)  I've been known to get a lot done in the yard during the winter months (at least my first couple of years here, I did), but normally those are on sunny days.  Today, on my way to the gym (yes, I finally joined a gym for the first time in my life!)...I decided to stop at a local appliance store where I've picked up cardboard before.  Luckily it had stopped raining by the time I got there, and, luckily, the damp cardboard boxes folded much easier then the dry ones.

I don't recall mentioning this before (and I know last year I documented little here despite accomplishing a few things), but last fall, I began collecting large pieces of cardboard with the goal of smothering sections of the field to prepare them for planting my dreamed-of native meadow.  Aside from the boxes, I collected bags and bags of leaf bags full of mostly oak and maple leaves from a suburban area near my work.  I began covering my crownvetch problem with cardboard, then I scattered a thick layer of leaves on top to weigh it down, conceal the cardboard so it is not an eyesore, and create more of a barrier for the sun to penetrate and the plants to grow through.  I'm uncertain if this will be enough to eradicate my despised crownvetch patch, but I do expect it to work in the grassy areas.

 From November 16, 2013, smothering Eurasian weeds and
 grasses along a path.

Hopefully, the extra thick layer of grass clippings is enough to

prevent weeds from growing through the gaps between the pole

and the cardboard.

I don't remember the exact temperature, but I remember being 

surprised to see a spider and a few insects warming themselves

on the cardboard.

Today, I went out in the light drizzle to continue what I'd started.  By the time I was half through, my hair was drenched, my denim shirt was wet down to the T-shirt I had on under it, and my sneakers were soaked.  Still, with this warm (almost balmy after our windchill days) weather, I kept plugging along until I depleted my supply of fall leaves.  It makes me wish I'd made more trips to that suburban street lined with scores of bagged leaves.  Maybe next year, I'll do better.

A small patch of crownvetch quickly took over an entire area.

The darker, wet leaves in the foreground (right) is from work I'd

done earlier this fall.  The lighter, dry leaves are from today.  

I think I should probably extend the coverage next time I get 

a chance.

It is a good thing the cardboard blends in with the leaves... I just
may have to spread them thinner once I lay more cardboard,
unless I figure out something else I can use.

While working, drenched from the rain, I thought of the picture this post would paint...then, I even got Jeff to snap a few shots of me as I finished up.  I don't think I look as much like the drowned rat I felt like, but here I am:

I lined the path with the brown paper lawn bags, then covered them with the remaining leaves--oh, and I got some sawdust from the shop class at work that I've been using as well.  Come spring, I'm hoping to be able to plant the seedlings that I will winter sow in the coming weeks (I actually got a head start on some of them back in October!).  I'd like to have a nice start of native grasses and wildflowers to line the path and hint at what is to come...then seed the areas behind them and wait as they become established.

One of the paths that will lead through the meadow.
(Before)

The same path now bordered by a narrow strip of brown paper

bags covered in leaves.  (After)

A Rough Idea

What I started with:

Over the years of walking the property, planning, and dreaming, things are starting to come together into a plan.  Five years ago, when we first moved in and the property was new to me, I had a much harder time envisioning what it should look like.  Before moving here, I'd have expected to create a lot more woodland than the plan I have now.  When, a month or so after moving in, I saw a bluebird (in December), it began to dawn on me that I would want to keep the large open area...that is where I plan to create a meadow of native grasses and wildflowers.  Fruiting shrubs will border the meadow in places--perhaps with a shrub or two scattered into the meadow, larger shrubs and small trees (like dogwood and serviceberry) will transition the meadow into a woodland.  The fruiting trees and shrubs will support the bluebirds (as well as other birds and critters), and the wildflowers, grasses, shrubs and trees, will support insects which are vital to feed the young of most birds.  I think the plan that has developed so far is likely pretty accurate to what I expect the property to become.

Today, I finally got around to creating a visual based on the original aerial shot I created when I started this blog:

Finally in the Ground

The other day I got some plants together to share with a friend from work (yup, that is you, Stacie).  Aside from sharing some of the dwarf chinkapin oaks that I got earlier this year, I gave her a few asters--mostly from what I grew from seed.  I was surprised that some of the asters bloomed the first year.  Sharing some of the seedlings was the incentive I needed to get my wildflowers into the ground.  I always seem to do that so late in the season!

I chose to plant them in the plot near the road that I smothered
last year with wood chips.

Kind of crowded.

Well established roots--but not pot-bound.

Very crowded, but at least they are in the ground...in the spring,
I may choose to separate them some more.

I did break some off, separating them from the crowd, and filling
in other areas.

After planting the wildflower seedlings, I
decided to transplant some other wildflowers
from a thick patch that has spread in the past
three years or so.

The section that can become a before picture
once it grows in next year, I'll be able to see
where it all started.

Working and Reworking

Although, I've posted very little in regards to the pond and streambed project that I've been working on, I have made a good bit of progress.  Normally, I guess I'm too tired to post...but, today of all days, when I should not feel up to posting, I am.  After walking for an hour and a half this morning, I went out after lunch and spent almost seven hours unearthing mini-boulders an flipping, nudging, and dragging them into place--well, only one is actually in its permanent position (I think).  I've actually moved it several times already trying to get things right.

Last week, I'd spent a good bit of time creating a pleasant-looking arrangements of rocks for a spillway/waterfall.  Unfortunately, when I ran the hose to overflow the upper section, the water didn't fall as planned.  That will all need reworked too, but since today I was not in the frame of mind to work on the mechanics of it all, I gathered rocks and worked on creating an outcropping that will never have a stream cascading over it...so creativity and not mechanics was my focus today--just what I needed.

 This rock is much larger than it appears in the photos...and like an iceberg, most of it was under the surface. :)

 At least these are much closer to the pond than most rocks I've moved in the past three years.

 I placed a large log in the hole that was left.  After covering it with soil it should be a long while before it decays and the ground sinks.  I'll deal with that when it happens.

 I still feel as though I'm running out of rocks for this project...I keep finding ones I've stashed away, and there is still a pile I've yet to pull from...but, I'm still seeking out LARGE ones which I need to make it look natural.  I pulled this one out of the hillside...and I think I know exactly where it will go!

 Here it is at the bottom of a path I created earlier this year (and never documented in the blog).

After flipping it end over end up the path, I was able to employ my handy, home-made rock mover again and wheel it to join the others...and one step closer to its final placement.

  Getting closer.  I swear, before I began digging and moving all of these rocks into place for the past several weeks, I'd not have been able to move this one.  Maybe, in another couple of weeks, I'll be able to move that one I swore I'd never tackle again.

It really should've been a two man job, but, as I so often do, I push myself...and I made it...it is actually in place now (but not in the picture), but needs readjusting tomorrow...or when ever I find I have the energy and motivation again.

 This is my old pond from when we lived in an apartment.

 I was able to move the moss-and-plants-topped rocks into the new pond...

Not bad, if I do say so myself. :)  Just one thing to add...there was a frog using the "old pond", and, after taking out the plants and rocks, I kind of relocated him to what I think are much nicer digs.  That means I'm up to five frogs now.

Hauling Rocks

Although I've yet to post about where these rocks are coming from, I will post that I'm finally starting to move them to add to my collection near the future streambed/pond.

There are still a lot more to haul up from the woodland.

Pulling Them Out by the Roots

It was 80 degrees on this April day. After getting home from work, I changed into shorts and got out in the yard. As usually happens, I walk the property and jump from one task to another--whatever strikes me at the moment.

One thing was to continue what I started a couple of weeks ago: instead of just sawing the Japanese honeysuckles off at the ground with hopes of taking a pick to the roots at some later point, I've found that I can often pull them out by hand! The soil is loose, but possibly even more so after freezing and thawing so much lately. I've pulled many medium-sized bushes out this way--it makes me feel good and saves me from going back for the pick!

Often I leave them in place with their roots exposed--I figure they provide places for birds to perch. Others are added to my newest brush pile.