Warfare on the Green

by the Stiltskins

We had a couple goals for our landscaping project:
1. to beautify our yard which, to that point was nearly devoid of anything but grass, and
2. to rid ourselves of the green menace, i.e./ dramatically reduce the time spent mowing the lawns.

Our strategies:
-to turn the back yard into a traditional garden with only a token strip of grass;
-to have trees in the backyard to combat the wicked afternoon heat/ sun (the backyard is west-facing);
-to build a potting shed at the back;
-to build a pergola extending out from the small rear patio;
-to build contained raised beds on the southside for a vegetable garden;
-to design a rainforest garden for along the northside of the house;
-to build a small patio in front of the house;
-to extend this patio of flagstone into a pathway along the rainforest garden and
then enter the backyard;
-to build (with the neighbour) a picket fence along the north side;
-to dig and plant a border along the driveway;
-to fill and create a berm to shade the patio; AND,
-to design and plant a rock garden extending down from the berm and into the front yard.

When all planning was said and done, we realized that we neither had the time to do all this in one year nor did we have $30000 to call up HGTV and be featured on the "Design Challenge." So, we decided to start on the front and side yards. Once the weather turned very warm, another must-do occurred to us: those planned shade trees were not going to grow over night, we'd better put them in straightaway. So, off to the garden centre (one that we could afford to make purchases at) and came away with 2 Weeping Willows for the back yard.

Once the time came to transport the trees home, we realized that we were in a bit of a dilemma. We had traded in our truck a couple months earlier and now had our Subaru Outback (TURBO <---I have to put that in for Scott!). These trees were not bushy by any means, but from tip to toe they easily measured 4 metres. Hmmmm.

So, we did have a bit of an issue...but Scott is never one to back down from a challenge. We hoisted the rootballs into the back of the wagon--but that left three metres of delicate branches and leaves hanging out the back. Lightbulb. Scott pulled out a big ole piece of tarp and wrapped the top of the trees to secure them. He knew that the weight of the rootballs would hold the trees in the car. But, then as we pulled out on to the road and picked up a very small amount of speed, the trees dragged along the road. Not good. We stopped and Scott pulled out a large yellow tow rope (we are prepared for any and all eventualities) and looped it under the trees mid-point and he and I held onto each end. Held on for dear life. And, voila! we made it home without incident.

Safely planted in the back yard (I know, I know, one can hardly make out the tree in the picture--but it is there, believe me!), we then turned to cleaning out the car. It was at that point someone realized the tarp was missing. Visions of an accident at the side of the road ran through my mind. The tarp obviously came off mid-trip; I crossed my fingers that it did not end up covering someone's windshield. Sighs of relief, there was the old hunk of woven plastic lying sadly abandoned road-side. No accidents in sight.

*****

The front yard is small. Our projects were small. One good weekend should do it. That is when we rediscovered the Indiana clay. It is also when we discovered a host of interesting items hidden just below the sod. We started on the patio area. False start. We started on the rock garden area. False start. We plunged that rototiller at random into the lawn to see if we could dislodge anything at all!
We regrouped and headed for the flower border-to-be. Aha! and away Scott went. His hands and wrists are much stronger than mine, so he tilled and I scooped and moved the excess dirt to the berm area.

Now there is a novel concept. Berm. I had never heard of the term before. That was, not until I moved to the midwest. A mound or wall of earth: well that is simple enough, but why? I then realized that on the flat land of Indiana, people have to build their own hills--hence the popularity of berm-building.

The berm did get larger over time and we planted it with a few white pines. We were also much more successful with the tiller and scrambled up some dirt for the rock garden-to-be. We had decided on the berm/ patio area because the hot west sun beating down into our backyard did not make for comfortable relaxing. We wanted a small area in which to put a couple Adirondack chairs and a table. Other folks in the subdivision (and in fact, any house in Lafayette that sports a garage out front) sit in their garage and relax. I am sure it is a nice tradition, but we thought we could go one better and have flora surrounding us in lieu of tool benches, gasoline canisters, and litter boxes. The berm was Scott's idea (it would have to be since I didn't realize the concept was in existence). This berm with its trees would give us privacy while we enjoyed the late afternoon, and the ability to check out the neighbours at the same time! (<--- not really a factor, but hey! if it works?) During the fall and winter, time was spent collecting rocks for borders and we managed on a cache of fossil-rocks. I'l bet the south neighbour was glad when we moved the dozens we had stored against our outside wall. The rocks themselves weren't the issue, the problem was that they inhibited my lawn mowing and harboured GIANT dandelions, thistles and the like.
As for the treasures I found while scooping out soil: an old rusted paint bucket, complete with lid, a 30cm iron peg, some pieces of concrete 1-2kg, pieces of rusted wire and drainage tiles. However, I did not win any prizes for my finds. The prize winner went, 2-3 years back, to the lady adjacent to us. While digging a garden of her own, she discovered TEN (10) sheets of 30' vinyl siding! Well, burst my balloon.

We carved out the area in front of the living room for our patio. We also dug out the little rose garden (well, except for the roses).

But then we hit upon a new problem. We transplanted the hostas and violet-things temporarily and tried to eradicate a pesty plant that someone (Scott) had actually purchased some years before. Beware of something called "Chameleon Plant." It takes root anywhere (including through cement and weed barrier), it is hardy in the extreme, everytime you cut a root, it grows a new head, and it smells! It smells when one attempts to pull it out, it smells when it blooms; the roots smell, the leaves smell and one's hands smell too. Ever have your hands stained with the shells of green filbert nuts or walnuts? The stain has to wear off. Same thing here except this lingering putrid odour follows you about for...well too long. Anyhow, I digress. But, one last word about "Chameleon plants" People actually purchase these Hydrae!
Ahem. The last step in our initial set-up (that phase, by the way, lasted a bit longer than the weekend--more like a month?) was to plant our beloved weeping cherry tree in the patio area.


At last we had something to work with and now it was time to...well, more preparation!