Before I get into the first chapter, let me give you an outline of what will be in the entire book.
Ch. 1-How to ASSESS the potential of your site
- Draw base map
- observe wildlife usage
- record vegetation
- observe environmental condtions
- figure out your usage needs
Ch. 2- How to DESIGN your desired garden type
- How to pick a start spot
- how to do a simple soil test
- Determine habitat type
- Create your planting palette
- Refine palette for aesthetics
- Create Layout
Ch. 3- How to FIND materials
- Where to source plants
- where to source other natural materials for accessorizing
- What tools you’ll need
Ch. 4- How to PREPARE your space
- How to clear the site
- Add edging, paths, logs, rocks
- Place accessories
Ch. 5- How to INSTALL your garden
- When to plant
- how to prep plants for install
- Planting tips
- Proper Mulching and Watering
Ch. 6- How to CARE for your new garden
- What to expect during your first season
- Care for each season
- How to weed, water, and expand your garden
Back to Chapter 1…
Your land has so much potential. It can serve you, wildlife, and the environment all at once. And it should do all of these! For you, there should be space to “live” in your yard (seating areas, walking paths, space for kids or dogs); for wildlife there should be food, shelter, and water; for the environment there will be benefits of cleaning the air, filtering water, and regulating temperatures (which also benefits you!).
Right now is the perfect time to start observing your yard. Let me get you in the right mindset.
In beginning your journey to creating garden spaces in your yard, first a shift. Just a small change of vocabulary will open up the way you see the space around your home. Referring to it as our yard immediately boxes the space up into this image of a finite square used for utilitarian purposes and/or for static adornments kept to tidy corners.
Now, look at this space and think instead, this is my land. For me, this changes something. It conjures up kinship and stewardship, connection, and a sense of place to be explored. My land is a place I want to care for and encourage to grow healthy. Some may think, as I used to, that having a truly wild space, an ecologically beneficial garden, means taking our hands away and leaving nature to its devices. But we live within nature, have always had a symbiotic relationship with it, and we are meant to tend it. We just have to relearn how.
What does it mean to get to know your land? The best way I can think to intimately acquaint yourself with your land, is to look at it as you would have when you were a kid.
As a kid I’d lay on the ground watching insects busying themselves through the grass, the angle of sunbeams tracking through tree canopies. I knew the precise spot the little purple flowers would sprout in the shade near the fence. I’d close my eyes and listen to the jungle cacophony of birds and try to recognize familiar calls. I knew the areas that would grow thick and tangled in the summer creating places for wildlife to rest. I waited for familiar puddles to appear during rainstorms and knew the scent of each season.
Try to be as unabashed as a kid when observing your land. Spend uninterrupted time listening and seeing the patterns of nature. All of these will knit together to create the picture you need to start building your space back into the natural landscape, as well as creating a space that you will use and enjoy more.
Above are my sketches of my front yard(click to enlarge). I find the easiest drawing perspective is from a standing view looking INTO your space- not an overhead view nor a street-level view. This gives you a better sense of how things are spaced out and layered. Also imagine everything as see-through so you can draw what’s behind things.
I do each part of my yard- front, back, left, right side- as separate areas, and each of those I draw from two views. I stand in the center of the space and look out toward the edges of the yard and then back toward the house.
Once you have a sketch, take time over the course of a week or two to just observe. Walk around and look and then also bring out a chair and sit for a while in different parts of your yard. I note;
- what animals I see and what areas they are using. Where are they spending time, are they eating something in the yard, where do they enter and exit
- what plants are growing and where, which ones can stay, which need removal- for this part I use an app to ID things. I use “Picture This”.
- Go out at different times of day to see different animals
- Also- observe where the sun is in the morning, mid-day, and afternoon. Note areas that stay in shade or sun most of the day.
- Keep watch for a rainy day so you can see if rain pools anywhere, and see how long it takes for your soil to dry out
- Note areas that you want to use for yourself. Is there a really good spot to stick a bench that feels cozy to be in? Do you need a path to walk to the mailbox?
Enjoy the next few weeks of getting to know your land. Creating a garden is a process that will take you through during the spring and summer season, so you can plant in the fall.
Feel free to leave any questions or comments and I’ll do my best to respond. I’ll add notes from the next chapter in a few days!
Thanks for reading!
