In urban areas the woodland garden is often started from scratch perhaps taking advantage of the space beneath a large tree. Both evergreen and deciduous trees are perfect for a woodland garden. Some light pruning may be necessary to allow some dappled sunlight into the space. Remove some lower branches will also increase the air flow through the garden and allow access. Usually preparing a site for a woodland garden involves only some light soil conditioning. In the city, however, the soil is generally of poorer quality than in country or suburban gardens so some additional site preparation may be necessary.
Quality soil composition is essential to the development of healthy root systems. Most plants will not do well in extremely sandy soil or in poorly drained clay soil. Grading the site to allow for adequate drainage should be done prior to planting. If the site floods or doesn’t drain well it may also be necessary to mound up the planting bed to prevent the plants from sitting in pools of water.
Woodland gardens are designed to complement the existing landscape by utilizing native trees, shrubs and flowers. They have four elements; the canopy layer, the understory, the shrub layer and the ground layer. Woodland gardens are designed to incorporate each.
Begin your planning with choosing the appropriate canopy layer for your garden. In Urban area this usually means a smaller tree which provide a light dappled shade. Thornless honey locusts (Gledetsia triacanthos) ironwoods (Carpinus virginiana), and river birches (Betula nigra) are generally suitable for city conditions as they provide light shade, grow tall and narrow and have interesting winter form. Don’t make the mistake of planting too many trees (multi-stemmed trees can give the effect of many trees) or trees which may be too large for the space provided. If the garden is too small for trees, larger shrubs may be the best choice. Ciborium (Virburnum sp.)and serviceberry (Amelanchier canadensis), when limbed up can provide shade for lower growing plants. Incorporate into your design a few variegated plants; they will brighten up a shade garden and add color through the summer months.
Younger trees are small and often don’t provide the shade woodland plants require. If this is the case avoid shade loving plants at first and plant part shade varieties instead.
Use a rich diversity of plants in your woodland garden such as bulbs, ferns, shrubs and perennials. This helps provide interest though every season and more closely resemble the native woodland landscape. Also, include plants with winter interest such as the red twig dogwood (Cornus sericea) and viburnum.
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