Green Mountain Gardener

A little over a year ago I contacted a garden coach to work with me on the layout of the front garden.  Instead of plunging forward, I spent some time gaining focus on what I hoped to achieve with my garden.  As I searched through a considerable amount of design ideas, there was one that I kept coming back to.  My garden was to be a habitat for birds, pollinators, and wildlife.  A garden which brought me back to days growing up near a natural meadow, a place where we spent much of our time as kids.  Thoughts swirled around a meadow garden that was filled with grasses, colors, and textures.  One that incorporated some native plants which would benefit both the land and the wildlife. For a while, I entertained the thought of creating the design myself.  I found myself full of ideas, but the one thing I was having trouble with was how to pull all of my ideas together.  I was having difficulty seeing the big picture, and wished for a fresh pair of eyes. Someone who would be looking at the land for the first time, and perhaps view the layout differently than I.  That’s when my thoughts went back to Judith Irven, the garden coach I had contacted several months before.  Judith is a Master Gardener who teaches the design portion of the MG program offered by UVM. She offers coaching sessions and workshops assisting with plant selection, design, or a complete landscape plan.  Using her extensive knowledge and expertise, Judith works with clients to develop a plan which incorporates their ideas and personality.  Browsing through her blog and website which contain many pictures of her garden in Southern Vermont, her passion and talent are apparent.

I emailed Judith and explained my hopes for this front garden, and included some photographs.  We began with a simple sketch of the front and side of the property, and Judith asked me to obtain some preliminary measurements.  She informed me that most of what we needed to do could be done through email correspondence, though for the final portion of the design process I was welcome to come and meet with her.  While not everyone may want to work on a design electronically, this method worked out very well for me due to a very busy school schedule and the fact that Judith and I live on opposite ends of the state.  Judith is more than willing to meet with clients in person, though this electronic correspondence was what worked best for me.  I sent Judith a list of grasses, perennials, shrubs and trees that I wanted to incorporate into this front design.  Judith spent some time looking over everything, asked me to obtain a few more measurements, and a few days later I received a beautiful design plan in the mail.

Grasses certainly dominate the plan, though the planting will not be a a true meadow which would approach a ratio of 90%/10% grasses to forbs.  Also on the plan the plants are shown in recognizable groups; whereas in an actual meadow there would be more co-mingling of grasses and forbs.  The plan would be better referred to as a meadow-inspired design.  I was delighted to see the incorporation of some grassy paths, a seating area, some stone steps,  and a split rail fence which will define the garden space as well as add some winter interest.  Judith’s design focuses on strong summer color as well as good fall and winter presence.  Some of the beauties that will be gracing the planting include:  Amelanchier canadensis or Serviceberry, with beautiful early spring blooms and fall berries for the birds, Cotinus ‘Grace’ and ‘Royal Purple’, two of my favorite Smokebush species, Spirea ‘Ogon’ with beautiful chartreuse summer color followed by a brilliant salmon-orange for fall, some native Virburnum, a few of my beloved lilacs, and of course a variety of grasses and perennials.  The design will be incorporated over a period of years.  This spring I plan to get started on a small section – the areas closest to the garage and front porch.  I am so thankful for Judith’s help in making what was a source of uncertainty into something exciting.  In my efforts to come up with a plan on my own, I had hesitations that my lack of design skills would result in my never really being satisfied with it.  I longed for a garden that I could sit in and enjoy without thinking about what was wrong with it and what needed changing, and feeling unsure about how to change it.  I am so looking forward to getting my hands in the dirt this spring…

A meadow inspired design for the front garden

Meadows create their own magic and music with rhythmic movement – catching both wind and light while providing a safe habitat for beneficial insects and pollinators.  I have many memories of a meadow that was just down the street from the house where I grew up.  As kids, we spent a lot of time there walking along the pathways lined with tall grasses and running our hands along their feathery flower heads.  Wildflowers were picked and secretly left on the porches of those who lived nearby.  We would collect fresh apples that were being offered by the many mature apple trees before heading to the pond where entire afternoons were spent discovering the slippery and slimy critters that lived there.  The crickets, frogs, and birds played music as the clicking of the beetles kept time.

Since determining that a meadow is just the thing for my front slope, I have been spending some time reading up on a new book, The American Meadow Garden by John Greenlee.  Whether you want to create a small, intimate meadow, or are looking to abandon your traditional lawn, Greenlee’s newest book takes readers through the entire design process.  In addition to guiding you in site preparation, Greenlee discusses the difference between warm and cool season grasses, and how they perform differently, depending on what part of the country you live in.  In addition, there is extensive information given on a variety of grasses that will serve as base, filler, and accent grasses.  Grasses are excellent for slopes, and many will give the effect of water cascading down a hill, as well as provide erosion control.  Included in this book is a listing of many meadow sweeteners such as bulbs, annuals and perennials.  An entire section is devoted to a portfolio of meadow gardens from California to Wisconsin.  All are amazing and equally beautiful. Greenlee has been growing grasses as a nurseryman for more than two decades, and states:

“It seems like only yesterday that my affair with them began.  I say “affair” because a meadow is like a seductive mistress.  Grasses are sensual.  You can smell them, and hear them, and watch them move.  Meadows are sexy, just like lovers – they never stop changing, never ceasing to surprise.  My love affair with meadows has become my life’s work.  Now I make meadow gardens for a living.”

There are a couple things that have been on my mind these past couple of weeks, intermingled with the stress and anxiety of final exams and papers that are due.

The first, is a valuable lesson in gardening that I learned last summer.  And, that is the importance of planting in groups, and using repetition to create pattern in the garden.  Like many new gardeners, when I set out to plant my garden, it involved a lot of time emerged in gardening books studying design concepts, and the importance of planting in groups.  Rinse.  Repeat.  I did not follow the advice.  How could I plant in groups when I wanted to incorporate all of these amazing plants?  Several trips were made to various nurseries.  I discovered many new plants, and fell in love with a multitude of new species. Often times they ended up in my backseat.  This happened over the course of the summer, two years ago.  Last summer, as I was looking at a garden full of beautiful plants, there was definitely a lack of order and rhythm.  And, it was not pleasing to my eye.  Last summer I spent much of my time ripping apart what I had planted, and replanting everything in a way that I thought would be more appealing.  This included planting in groups and using repetition to create pattern.  I have been reflecting on this valuable lesson, and wondering if I now wish that I had done things differently.  In some ways, yes.  It was a lot of work planting and then re-planting everything.  Also, there was money spent on a few plants that I decided not to keep because they just weren’t working. On the other hand, I wouldn’t trade the excitement I felt over planning and discovering plants I couldn’t live without.  And, I believe this experience helped to shape my love for gardening.    Planning, I have found, is one of the greatest pleasures.  Similar, I suppose, to sitting in front of a blank canvas with several colors of paint spread out before you.

The second thing that has been weighing on my mind is the slope in front of our house.  I have been pondering what I would like to plant here for a couple seasons now.  And, since I have already re-planted part of my garden, while it was a lovely experience, I am not willing to do it again.  So, I want to be REALLY SURE before I start planting all kinds of crazy.  Originally, I wanted a retaining wall.  Then, as I thought about the plants I wanted to incorporate, as well as the desire to create a meadow in this area, I decided against a retaining wall, to keep a more natural appearance.  Perhaps a gravel path and/or some stone steps.  Then I had a change of heart. Maybe a tiered rock wall would be nice.  Ok, maybe not.  So, now I am putting my foot down and making a decision.  Really.  Yes, I do want to create a natural-looking meadow in this area.  And, no rock wall.  I want the plants to be the main focus, as I have all sorts of plans for hardscaping in the back.  But we’re not even going to get started with that one.  Focus.  So, the excitement this winter will be in planning my meadow.  And, I will enjoy taking you along for the ride as my plans begin to unfold next spring.  If you would like to add your two cents, or if you are experienced in working with slopes, I would certainly be happy to listen.