Landscaping Dreams

On the Coast, February had touches...days where Spring did not seem far off.  Depending on microclimates in my garden, there would be Shrubs growing fat buds, bulbs of all kinds would have their strap-like Leaves reaching for the Sun, and  Moss in my lawn would have become thick, showing his unearthly, glowing green face. 

When I moved here to the Central Northern Interior, it was at the end of February.  Having come from the Coast, in my ignorance I assumed Spring could not be far off here, as well.

But when we moved into our home at the end of March, Snow was still very prevalent here. Okay, I thought, maybe a month longer, and I would be able to plant.

Snow melt did not occur until the middle of May.

With this in mind, I have decided to prepare for my landscaping project, which last year had me completely overwhelmed, long before the time comes to plant. On paper...and in dream time.


And this is because, last year when Spring finally arrived in the Cariboo, she really arrived. With huge fanfare, Shrubs and Trees and small perennial Flowers burst into leaf and bloom, within days of each other. Suddenly, the places where I had planned garden beds were covered in Flora, no longer visible.


I have learned.  I know, now, to plant bulbs ( I have yet to find any which Squirrels will not...pardon me...squirrel away) under coniferous Trees. Snow does not build up there, and already brown, naked Soil is showing up under various areas.


This Winter has also taught me how important places where Snow can be built up, after ploughing, are...without worrying about any plants that may lie there.


Suddenly, I imagine how, as a child, I would have built enormous Snow caves in those mounds. I imagine how I would have travelled to different spaces and Worlds, had I tunnelled a huge crater in the icy Snow...


But I digress. Following my imagination is to travel to distant lands and different times...it is very easy to get lost.


Back to my landscape plans.


Since our home is situated somewhat oddly, on this hilly, rocky land, with a Gravel driveway just a few feet from the front entrance, I have decided to use decorative Gravel to delineate the front garden areas.  Instead of my usual jumble of perennial plants, I will plant carefully chosen Trees and Shrubs which will yet stand tall above three feet of Snow.


I am aiming for a still, Zen like quality...a garden which will showcase, here and there, the singular beauty of a Tree or Bush, its Bark, Leaves and Flowers.


It is the Gravel which decided me to take this hugely unusual approach (for me) to gardening.  Before the Snow bed is built up on the driveway, much gravel will be moved under the Snow plough, to places in which it shouldn't be. 


If I can't beat it, I have decided I may as well join with the Gravel already here.


Logs which were cut last year will be used around each well-chosen specimen, with perhaps a chair or bench placed here and there.

And this year, as well, I want to build steps into the Draw off the side of the driveway, which will extend our front garden considerably. Down in the deep Draw is where the best soil lies...and there is where I will go wild with shade-loving, leafy perennials...perhaps even my first love, the Fern.


It seems to me much of my time in the garden this year will be spent building...I hope to have time to tend new plantings as well.


As there is no sited vegetable bed, I intend to build some raised beds below where the greenhouse is slated to be. Building the woodworking shop and the greenhouse will once again change the landscape, with many further gardening options which will appear.


To satisfy my yearning for the feel of soil in my hands, I  bought Seeds. Many, many Seeds...Poppies, Sweet Peas and Sunflowers, along with Herbs...Dill, Parsley, Thyme, Borage and Chamomile...all, and more, are on the agenda for seeding.


Graham has rigged a contraption which holds a grow light...and one of the guest bedrooms will be turned into an indoor greenhouse.


This year, I plan to be prepared for Spring's sudden and so very welcome arrival.  There are many Windows along the back of our home, bringing light and Sunshine for the baby plants, along with the greening bedroom.  I am lucky in that the deck faces South and runs along the entire length of the back. If I am vigilant, when temperatures are suitable, I can place each flat of seeds on the deck during the daytime.

It is the night temperatures which will harm them. I must remember to bring the small, tender seedlings into the warmth of the house...something so important, yet there have been times when I have forgotten.

Further along in this landscaping dream, I want to build a set of stairs from the back deck to the flatter land below and beyond. I want to plant Arabis, Thrift, Achillea and Sunflowers on the bank, with small Fruit-bearing Trees and Shrubs and weepy Trees who will draw their Leaves gently amongst the Boulders already there.

And why stop here? I want to extend the fence to take in an area where Birch is Queen. This is a magical place! It is a riot of Wildflowers...Columbine, Lilies, Daisys and more dot the very fertile Soil here. In high Summer, I imagine the whisper of the Aspen and Birch Leaves high above as Wind stirs their senses, when I wander the paths I've made beneath them.

Paths which will lead to secret, unknown places...a resting spot becoming apparent around a turn or detour here and there.

In my dream, I turn the rather utilitarian steel gate at the far end of the fence into a charming trellised affair, with Rose and Clematis clambering about willy-nilly, gleefully and easily escaping the browsing jaws of Deer...

I am eager to prune the wild Roses, Saskatoon bushes, and Willows who live everywhere along the fence lines. In order to save a fairly large Willow from browsers , we have fenced her in. And although there have been plenty of tracks, Moose has decided it is too much trouble to jump the fence for this one meal.

In my landscaping dream, I have no pain.  In the dream, I have only eagerness to begin to garden, only enthusiasm and ardour to work hard, in the imagined Sun and sultry Spring breezes which tug at my hair.

It is a brilliant way in which to spend a Winter's afternoon! 

Stumped!

Once upon a time, I considered myself a fairly knowledgeable gardener/landscape designer.

Having grown up on the mild BC coast, I know Rain Forests and the kinds of plants that grow there. I know the humussy earth, the moist climate, the sometimes wet and soggy, boglike conditions plants are exposed to, on the Coast.

After forty years of gardening in the jumbled jungle of a Coast forest, where, if one is not vigilant, entire beds can be taken over, in the blink of an eye, with Tree seedlings and lush, green weeds, I find myself on a property that offers dry Forest land, moist Forest land and Grasslands, with extremely varied weather patterns.

Our property slopes down from a Plateau. There are valleys and benches and draws, giving me a whole different perspective to the Zonal charts regarding plant hardiness. There are sheltered areas and open areas and fully shaded areas. During this year, I will watch to see where Snow drifts cover, where plant life is protected from Frost and where Wind hits the hardest.

The moist Forest land is hardly close to Coastal Forest land, either, with regards to the degree of moisture. But it does have an abundance of Moss and Ferns, for which I am very grateful, having a deep, abiding love for the lovely Spring green slashes of colour scattered here and there.

And the dryer Forest land? It has wild wood strawberries, patches and patches of them. I have no idea how they can grow so prolifically, since the soil feels like dust to me. This soil sticks to shoes like glue if it gets wet. Fir needles cushion most of the area...also sticking like glue to shoes when wet. Lichen is prolific, both in the dryer areas as well as the wet.

The Grasslands show signs of Lupin, Columbine, Raspberries and Saskatoon berries, and whole mounds of Kinnickinnic and of course, lots of different Grasses. This whole area is in Sun for most of the day and this soil seems very dry, as well. In a few weeks, all the Wildflowers will show their faces and the Berries will ripen, giving me a better indication of what else is growing here.

Wind also announces the weather with great gusto, making last year's dead Grasses and Shrubs bend their spent seed heads as if in prayer and whipping Trees about. The sticklike Aspen and Birch look as if they could snap at any moment, during one of those announcements. That kind of Wind could certainly harm any plant I might consider placing against the house.

Nature does a great job of gardening here, in the back yard. Much better than me.

Our house, on the other hand, has had no landscaping done around it. It sits as if it was suddenly placed here by a giant hand from above, onto a small, flat area. There is no curb appeal. There is no formal driveway or walkway to the front door. The house has huge windows and a deck out the back; in front, the windows are smaller, making it look stingy, with no character.

And there is the little lime green and white garden shed I want to incorporate into the scheme of things.

Landscaping and hardscaping will change all that. Since I find the climate, the soil, and the relative arid conditions here slightly daunting, I will find a landscaper, someone who knows the area, to give me advice.

There is much to take into consideration, besides the soil and climate. I want to build a driveway which can be cleared of Snow easily in Winter, without the plough running into Boulders or Logs. I want to build a fence; one which will give the dogs a sense of boundaries. As well, I will have to decide where I want this fence to go, since it is impractical to fence in the whole of the property.

Walkways...shall I choose gravel or slate or concrete? What will work best in Snow and Ice? Raised beds...would these be useful against the house, or will plants in these beds warm up too soon in Spring, leaving themselves open to Frost attacks?

So many decisions...I believe it is time to call in reinforcements. I can get slightly overwhelmed (to say the least) when my intuition has gone elsewhere. When I can't rely on strong gut feelings, when I feel myself swimming in deep, dark waters...I need advice.

It's not often I'm stumped, when it comes to gardening. I feel, here, as if I am beginning again, learning a new way. My gardener's gut tells me to find someone who knows...

I'm very grateful my intuition didn't desert me totally.