Sunday, July 19, 2009
Backyard Naturalization Part III
  (Wild rose transplanted from my grandmother's house, Sweet William from my mother's garden, both in Sackville, New Brunswick)
If you've been following the blog, I've been working steadily to convert our urban backyard from, well, urban backyard (grass and a few shrubs) to a more useful and interesting habitat. Our backyard is very small, so mowing the grass is a task that, with a little more planting, we can eliminate altogether. (At right - Bee Balm, giant hosta, more wild rose from my grandmother's house, some kind of flowering shrub transplanted from my mom's garden, Astilbes transplanted from other flower beds on the property).
I've been steadily planting white clover in any spots that need replanting - bare spots or spots filled with weeds - and I'm happy to say it's working out very well - the clover does not grow tall enough to really warrant mowing, it takes some time to take hold and really start growing, but it's quite resistant to "heavy traffic" - i.e. a running greyhound and two running kids - and doesn't seem to attract bees in huge numbers, which some who are less inclined to hang out in a backyard with bees have asked.
Annie, who has joined me at the Nurtured store, suggested planting a hardy kiwi, a vine that will produce kiwi with edible skin, even in our climate. So I did. It's growing wonderfully well against a lattice made from driftwood collected by Spunky, BananaMuffin and Scotian on their first trip to the family cottage this year. No signs of blooms yet, but it seems to be quite happy in its location!
 (At left - hardy kiwi).
The strawberry plants transplanted from my father's strawberry patch in Sackville have produced at least a bowl full of red berries - though a few were enjoyed by slugs that I haven't had time to control. I'm impressed at how well they've produced despite the fact that I moved them this spring in combination with the wet weather we've been having. My mom and dad also donated a healthy chunk of rhubarb to my garden in the spring, and while it was too late to harvest, it will be ready for next year. It has gone to seed and is multiplying in only the way rhubarb can.(At right - strawberry plants interspersed with English Lavender)
My father grows grapes against the south facing wall of what used to be our cattle barn, and after a particularly bad winter, his vines died. For Father's Day that year, I gave him two new red grape vines, hoping they would be of a sweeter variety than the first batch he had (perfectly suited to jelly, not so much for eating). While they are sweeter than the former, they are still not edible, but I still receive annual batches of grape jelly, so not all is lost! This year, I purchased two red concord grape vines of my own, hoping to finally get that edible crop. They are growing against our fence in a relatively shady area of the property, under the leaves of a huge oak tree, so their progress is slow, but steady. They haven't yet established themselves to a point of actually "climbing" the fence, but they are progressing. They were only planted in May, and have received no attention since with the exception of the dog trying to dig them up!
Last spring I planted a virginia creeper vine purchased in Wolfville at a native plant sale, over an expanse of fence overlooking our asphalt driveway to try and soften the "asphalt and concrete" look of that area of our property. It is quickly growing in, providing additional privacy and much needed greenery in an otherwise unpleasant looking area.
This summer/fall I hope to remove three rows of patio stones from a terrace in the backyard built by previous owners and convert it to further vegetable gardens. It is by far the sunniest area of the backyard, and it seems a shame to have it dedicated to concrete.
My approach to gardening is very sporatic - I don't buy a lot of plants, I mostly transplant from elsewhere - and there is very much a do or die mentality as the plants get next to no attention once they are planted - I simply don't have the time to tend to them - but regardless of my Sunday weedings and evening patrols, the plants that I do have seem to be thriving, even in our heavy clay, poorly drained soil.
The garden is far from complete, but is, in my opinion, so much better than the boring patch of grass with an out-of-control japanese yew planted directly in the centre of the lawn, and a barren terrace of forest-green painted patio blocks installed by a previous owner.
Urban guerilla gardening in my own backyard. It is possible to have an oasis without an expanse of property, and without a huge budget. I believe it is possible! Plant swaps are wonderful - plan one with your neighbours and family this fall, particularly if your family lives in a more northerly planting zone than you, you're guaranteed good results!
The work continues, but I'm happy with the progress so far.
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