My relationship with the the wet area in the backyard has matured from one characterized by jumping in with both feet to a series of negotiations. I dig around a little or move some rocks in the stream bed or cut back the edging and then wait to see what happens. The volume and course of water is unpredictable: sometimes it pools in one of the channels, other times it flows to the far end of the raingarden, or it simply finds its own way and eases on to the lawn.
At least we're no longer referring to this area as "the swamp" or "sinkhole," though it may not yet deserve the label of "water feature."
Marsh ferns (Thelypteris palustris), variagated sweet flags (Acorus gramineus "Golden Ogon") and dwarf goldenrods (Solidago x "Little Lemon") were planted last fall along the sides of the stream bed. These three plants work perfectly together because they each bring a different texture and color to the mix.
Yes, I guess that it's still pretty chaotic. That vision of ferny stream banks and water lazily meandering around grasses may never quite be realized.
At least we're no longer referring to this area as "the swamp" or "sinkhole," though it may not yet deserve the label of "water feature."
No comments:
Post a Comment