I don't know what is the official definition of "woods." I mean, I know it's a place with trees, but is there a numerical standard? How many trees does it take to make a "woods"? I hope I have enough. But it would be a close call probably. You can take the path through the middle of my woods out to the back meadow in about thirty seconds--if you walk slowly. Now, to walk it from one side to the other takes longer. It does stretch the entire width of my Acres. And yes, I do have a path for taking that trek. In fact, I have another path through the trees--uh, I mean the woods--from the house to the meadow that is more of a winding longer trail. And, of course, my woods connect with the woods on Dennis' acres. The deer often come across 25, slip up through Dennis' woods, cut through mine, and then meander on down to Aaron's pine trees--especially in the winter. They love those pine trees. Protects them from the weather some I reckon. Oops--I mean, protects them from the weather some I "guess." Sorry, didn't mean to slip into Southern lingo there.
The great thing about the woods is that it gives me another "eco-system" for planting--experimenting--with flowers, trees, and shrubs. It's full shade heaven in the woods themselves. It's partial shade to full shade along the edges. To be honest, I haven't had a great deal of success in the woods, but the edges are doing well. I would someday like to build an old country wall between the woods and the edges on the house side. Not just so I can quote "Mending Wall," my neighbors would be totally unaffected by such a wall anyway--but so that I can define the edges into easier to maintain garden plots. Keep the woods at bay a little bit. I'd also like to add a little definition to an area just on the meadow side of the woods, right to the left of the center path. I've tucked a rhododendron, red twig dogwood, bleeding heart, and some daffodils in , there. Such miracle constructions are a long way off, but while I'm prophesying, I'd like to make the paths in the woods more substantive as well. Cobblestones of some sort maybe? Any suggestions are welcome.
On the edges of the woods that face the house there are a great number and variety of flowers and shrubs. There is a bigger "edge" directly behind the house than on the other side of the path on the house side. There's also a large wooden shed right behind the house on this edge. In fact, the winding path through the woods begins right behind this shed. A secret path. =) Anyway, right behind the house on the edge of the woods are three forsythia, a rose of Sharon, a redbud, and a bleeding heart. All of these bloom each year, except for one of the forsythia. Flowers that I've planted here are a lot (tip: "a lot" means at least a dozen) of crocus, daffodils, lilies, hosta, tulips, Dutch iris, grape hyacinth, rosy Alpine bells, and stardrift. Sprinkled among these beauties are a few phlox, iris, astilbe, huechera, aconite, Lenten roses, anemones, wood hyacinth, bluebells, coral bells, fern, corydalis, balloon flowers, and sedum. Lots of sprinkling! Bring your flower umbrella! It's quite an extensive garden. I do have a problem here with squirrels taking some of the bulbs despite the fact that there are two huge walnut trees over here, and the ground is littered with nuts. Did I happen to mention in this "history" that I hate squirrels and walnut trees? I thought so. I hate squirrels and walnut trees. Anyway, this is a beautiful spot from early spring to frost, though I am in constant warfare with the encroaching woods. And the squirrels.
The other edge of the house side is not nearly as wide. It has "lots" of crocus, a redbud, bleeding heart, and two forsythia that bloom each spring, the Acres' only mountain laurel, and a "sprinkling" of daffodils, dwarf iris, tulips, lilies, hosta, fern, and fall crocus. Most of this area is full shade though one small area has some sun. There's an encroachment battle over here as well. That's why that idea of a wall keeps ricocheting around my empty brain.
The other "edge" of the woods--the meadow side--is mostly flowering trees and shrubs that have not yet fulfilled their purpose. They are growing nicely, just not blooming. A rose of Sharon and a magnolia bloom every year, but not any of the other stuff: two redbud, another magnolia, a crab apple, a hawthorn, four dogwoods--one pink, and two blue spruce. Of course, the spruce won't bloom. Now, there are a couple dozen daffodils over here that bloom each spring and a patch of black-eyed Susan that bloom in the summer. (God planted those. I can't take credit.) The rhododendron that I already mentioned was about to bloom this last spring, but one of the deer traipsing through my woods stopped to munch. Ugh. At least it's still alive so there's hope. There are some aconite, hosta, lilies, and iris over here, but they don't bloom much. This edge does get a little sun, but just a very little. That's undoubtedly the problem, but I'll keep hoping. The things that have bloomed keep my hopes alive.
As mentioned, I have not had much success in the forest. (Whoa, in just a few paragraphs it's grown from a maybe woods to a forest! Ah, the power of the pen!) God has a nice bouquet of May apples in here and a large swath of Dutchman's breeches, and numerous violets. And He has some trillium in here that have not yet bloomed. I'm sure they will one of these springs. I have tried all sorts of flowers and shrubs in here and failed. All flora that were supposed to be full shade lovers, woodsy plants. But. . . I do have some daffodils and crocus that bloom in here before the trees get their leaves. And some fall crocus after the leaves have fallen. And there are a couple Lenten roses and ferns that I've put in here still alive. But not nearly the number I've planted in here. Any suggestions for things to try would be welcome. There may be a bunch of Arbor Day saplings in here. When I first moved here, I planted a bunch of them in here, but I have no idea how they're doing. I didn't think to mark where I put them. Brilliant, eh? I have stumbled on a redbud and dogwood that are growing in here, but the others, who knows? Maybe twenty years from now who ever owns Iten's Acres after me will wake up some spring morning and go, "Wow, honey, come look at this. It's a miracle. The woods are all abloom." I don't think I qualify as a miracle producer, but it's fun to imagine such a moment sometime in the future. My gardening angels and I can give each others high fives in heaven. Can you give a high five to someone with wings?
Anyway, you can come and hike the woods with me anytime--edges and all--without the slightest chance of getting lost or without the slightest chance of not encountering some beauty. Come in the winter, and we can quote "Stopping by the woods on a snowy evening," and we won't even have "miles to go before we sleep." It's just a couple steps to the back door.
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