I have lived in my house for 8 years. It is about a 3rd of an acre, HEAVILY wooded and shaded and only has about 5% grass. Everything else is mulched, beds or weeds. I do have a flagstone walk way.
Every year I tackle a few areas and make some improvements. I enjoy working in the garden, even a 15 minute sessions shows improvements. But, I feel overwhelmed. I have 2 small children and I never seem to have enough time to get it together.
This year I want to make a plan to make more of the yard "sustainable". For example, we are going to cut down some trees (do the job once, will decrease the leaves in the fall, give us some more sun...). I would like to do as much of the work myself as I can.
I am looking for ideas of how to "sponge up" surface areas so I will have less to maintain. We had a pond, but tree limbs were always falling in it. Not sure where to begin. We live near Baltimore, MD. Summers are very humid and buggy, but we have a good 8 months of the year where we can be enjoying the yard.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
Mindy
I am not even sure I have given enough info for a good response.
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bookworm240
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rainbowgardener
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Yeah, I'm sorry, but I'm not sure I even understand the question:
"sponge up" the area so I have less to maintain
trying to make the yard more sustainable.
You already said much of it is beds, mulched (but weeds doesn't fit in there) or wooded.
I think when you said sustainable you meant self-sustaining? I.e you don't have to do so much work?
And by sponge-ing up you mean like planting it in something that doesn't need much work?
I hear you about two small children and not having a lot of time to spend in the garden. It's quite a worthy objective, to make a low maintenance garden that you and your children can enjoy, without spending all your time working in the yard.
It would help us to understand better what the work part is that you are trying to decrease. For example you said you are cutting down trees. To me that almost seems the opposite direction. It certainly will let more sun in and make it easier to grow veggies. But to me, woods are self-sustaining (who gardens the forest?) where as veggie gardens are a ton of work. I also have about 1/3 acre. I'm working on reforesting it, have planted about 25 trees so far, turning it back into woods. Leaves are a big pain if you rake them, but if you have woods you don't rake them, they stay where they fall. (If you have lawn, you also don't rake them, you run the lawn mower over them.)
Once you have mulched beds they are generally pretty self-sustaining too and usually don't have weeds.
So tell us a little bit more about what it is you are trying to grow, what kind of garden you want to have, and what the work is that you would like not to have to do ...
"sponge up" the area so I have less to maintain
trying to make the yard more sustainable.
You already said much of it is beds, mulched (but weeds doesn't fit in there) or wooded.
I think when you said sustainable you meant self-sustaining? I.e you don't have to do so much work?
And by sponge-ing up you mean like planting it in something that doesn't need much work?
I hear you about two small children and not having a lot of time to spend in the garden. It's quite a worthy objective, to make a low maintenance garden that you and your children can enjoy, without spending all your time working in the yard.
It would help us to understand better what the work part is that you are trying to decrease. For example you said you are cutting down trees. To me that almost seems the opposite direction. It certainly will let more sun in and make it easier to grow veggies. But to me, woods are self-sustaining (who gardens the forest?) where as veggie gardens are a ton of work. I also have about 1/3 acre. I'm working on reforesting it, have planted about 25 trees so far, turning it back into woods. Leaves are a big pain if you rake them, but if you have woods you don't rake them, they stay where they fall. (If you have lawn, you also don't rake them, you run the lawn mower over them.)
Once you have mulched beds they are generally pretty self-sustaining too and usually don't have weeds.
So tell us a little bit more about what it is you are trying to grow, what kind of garden you want to have, and what the work is that you would like not to have to do ...
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bookworm240
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Not sure if I am replying correctly ---
Yes, I want to decrease the time I am: weeding and raking. I live in a 'hood where everyone rakes and I feel the pressure to comply.
I am looking for hardscape ideas as well as self-sustaining landscaping.
This is probably a therapy issue, but I would like to look at my yard as "done" and not just see the work that still needs to be done.
Is there any hope for me????
Yes, I want to decrease the time I am: weeding and raking. I live in a 'hood where everyone rakes and I feel the pressure to comply.
I am looking for hardscape ideas as well as self-sustaining landscaping.
This is probably a therapy issue, but I would like to look at my yard as "done" and not just see the work that still needs to be done.
Is there any hope for me????
Many perennials lend themselves to low-maintenance while at the same time helping purify the air near one's home and reduce noise. If the perennials are also chosen with an eye to being native plants, they can provide valuable habitat and forage for wild birds, butterflies, and pollinators, who are all under siege.
Plants tend to absorb it themselves, leading to a refreshing outside experience.
Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9
Plants tend to absorb it themselves, leading to a refreshing outside experience.
Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9
Last edited by cynthia_h on Sat Apr 03, 2010 10:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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rainbowgardener
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Well, there probably is some "therapy issue" in there about changing attitude. A garden is never "done," it's always a work in progress. I think if my garden were ever "done," I'd have to move and start over somewhere else.
But I think we could give better suggestions if you maybe posted a few pictures of what it looks like now. And say a little bit more about what the work is that you wish not to do. With 5% grass, it doesn't sound like you are spending lots of time mowing. Is it too much weeding? Too much raking leaves? Too much of something else? What are you growing? What would you like to be growing? How would you like to be using the yard-- play space for the kids, outdoor eating area, etc. The more information you give, the more help we can be.
But I think we could give better suggestions if you maybe posted a few pictures of what it looks like now. And say a little bit more about what the work is that you wish not to do. With 5% grass, it doesn't sound like you are spending lots of time mowing. Is it too much weeding? Too much raking leaves? Too much of something else? What are you growing? What would you like to be growing? How would you like to be using the yard-- play space for the kids, outdoor eating area, etc. The more information you give, the more help we can be.
Working WITH your existing conditions is easier and more sustainable than trying to convert the site into lawn. I know everyone wants a lush, weed-free lawn, but this is a lot of maintenance also, and not environmentally friendly.
If you must take down trees, leave enough canopy to provide shade- you'll appreciate it in your hot summers. Consider thinning the canopy as opposed to removing the trees. Large groundcover beds beneath the trees with just a liitle bit of lawn is a nice look. Moss lawns are great also.
You would be the non-conformist in your neighborhood, and maybe setting a new trend- which is coming anyway!
If you must take down trees, leave enough canopy to provide shade- you'll appreciate it in your hot summers. Consider thinning the canopy as opposed to removing the trees. Large groundcover beds beneath the trees with just a liitle bit of lawn is a nice look. Moss lawns are great also.
You would be the non-conformist in your neighborhood, and maybe setting a new trend- which is coming anyway!
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bookworm240
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Am sending hugs! Thanks for the input. I do not want to grow grass, I just want to find a balance where I can work in the yard, take breaks, and have an area (mulched? screened porch?) where I can put the kids outside and let them play without running into poision ivy, trampling the plants, or tripping over vines.
Enjoying the process is my issue....sigh. My yard will be a great teacher.
I see so much potential for my family to enjoy our unique yard. Am greatful for all the advice.
I will include some pictures today...at nap time.
Thank you again
Enjoying the process is my issue....sigh. My yard will be a great teacher.
I see so much potential for my family to enjoy our unique yard. Am greatful for all the advice.
I will include some pictures today...at nap time.
Thank you again
If you cut your trees you will get more sun and more heat so they are a natural air conditioner dropping their leafs in the winter so as to let the sun in. You could hire a local kid in the fall to rake if you do not want to and you may even compost them for your plants. The other thing I can tell you is that there are a number of shade plants that do well and some make good ground cover for the places that you have dirt and want to cover up. My wife ordered a number of shade loving plants to go into one of our gardens. Next year I will know what grows best here.