Woodland Gardens

Here is a nice collection of pictures of my woodland gardens throughout the season. Click on any picture to see it enlarged.

I have created two gardens in my yard for shade loving plants or those that like partial shade. I started my shade garden in the backyard by spreading wood chips that I got from the city. I spread the chips about 4 inches deep over the grass that was already growing in the area to be converted to a native shade garden. My backyard shade garden is growing under an american elm tree. Initially I planted hazelnuts and bladdernuts. Some wildflowers I planted were sweet Joe-Pye and cut-leaf coneflower. In the edge of the shade, where there is more sun, I planted purple milkweed and golden alexander .

This area was converted from grass to woodland by spreading wood chips 4 inches deep. Hazelnut and Bladdernut were planted where the stakes are seen.

This area is my woodland area in the backyard. The previous picture shows the area after it was planted, five years later the hazelnuts are blooming. These are hazelnut catkins blooming in March. Hazelnuts do well in shade, but if they get some sun you will get a nut crop.

This is a shady area directly in front of the house full of white snakeroot. The area is shaded by a redbud tree.