The Back Slope: Facing Facts

This post is linked up to Lessons Learned, over at PlantPostings.

 

With ice and snow still sticking around outside, I've taken to reading gardening books lately. Somewhere in the stack I pulled out a gem that's going to change my whole approach to the back slope, aka "Ladybug Hill."

Here's what I learned:

In gardening, you figure out what works. Then you repeat that. Success. Repeat. Success. Repeat.

In other words, when you hit on something that works in one location, plant more of that. 

Sounds simple, doesn't it?  I think the first part is the most important (and what I have not done very well.)

OBSERVE what is working, and what is not.

It's one thing to plant a flowerbed with carefully amended soil. When it's an area running the entire length of my yard, sloping up steeply to the neighbor's yard, amending just isn't an option: don't have the time, money, or desire.

I would say it is high time for a little observation.

Meet: The Back Slope

So, what do I have to work with? The soil is pretty much straight clay. 2/3 of it gets full sun, the other 1/3 is shaded. Prevailing winds blow right across it. Basically nothing was done with it for a good 10 years, at least, before we bought the place. It was one great big weed patch.

I imagined a terraced garden, with blossoms and pretty plants filling in the rest. Perhaps a few rock trails up to the top.  Thanks to the hard work of my husband, I've got 3 lovely terraces for vegetables.

But other than that, let's face it. Most of what I've planted on the back slope, outside the terraces of our vegetable garden, has died. Roses, hollyhocks, blueberry bushes (well, 1 has died & the other 2 look diseased), daylilies, hydrangeas, wildflower mix (seeds). 

Dead and gone.

Plus, there are several things that are still hanging on, but not necessarily thriving. Such as:

1. spring bulbs: alliums, tulips, daffodils, and crocuses

2. apple trees (2)

3. lilac bush

4. hostas

5. heuchera

Here is what thrives on my back slope, of its own free will:

 

1. Weedy grass

2. Dandelions, vetch, clover, thistles, other weeds

3. Aspens

4. Wild lupines

5. Wild daisies

6. Wild blackberry

7. staghorn sumac

While it hasn't shaped up quite like I had hoped, it does have some good points. My children love to slide down the grass and make hideouts in it (yes, it gets tall enough to do that in the summer).  We pick the daisies and lupines for bouquets. There have been a handful of blackberries each summer to share. Ladybugs really seem to like the weedy grass.

Now Presenting:

The Back Slope Game Plan # 57

Plant more of what already works.

How's that for anti-climatic?

So this spring, I'm heading to the nursery to buy:

1. lupines

2. daisies & daisy-like flowers (possibly coreopsis, black-eyed susan, or echinacea?)

3. blackberry vines (preferrably thornless)

The weeds, grass, and aspens can fend for themselves.

What's to Love?

It's the last week of the No Winter Whining linkup, and the theme is Favorites.

 

So, in no particular order, the Top 10 things I love about winter: 

 

1. Sledding

It had been so long since I had been sledding, I had almost forgotten about this snowy thrill. Our town is nothing but hills, so it wasn't hard to find one just perfect for our little beginners. Even baby A. got a turn or two with Daddy. We stayed and stayed for "one last time down!"

 

2. Green baby snowsuits with pointed hats!

Hee hee. 

 

3. Snowy trees.

 

 

 4. Icy snacks: especially, snow ice cream.

Wow, it was good!

Since you have to use freshly fallen snow, it's not an everyday treat.

Sometimes I still think about it, wistfully.

 

5. Hats with pom-poms

 

6. A boy who LOVES to shovel.

No seriously. He loves it. His Dad bought him a new snow shovel (just his size) and he could hardly contain himself. He kept looking over at it and saying, "That looks FUN!" If the deck melts of its own accord he is really put out. 

 

 

7. Christmas!

(This is my husband chopping down our Christmas tree, in case you were wondering.)

 

8. Birthdays, too!

Three of the five of us have winter birthdays.

Makes for some good times.

 

9. Snowflake parties 

 

10. Pajama days

Pajama days are the best! We lounge around in our jammies, eat hot cereal, drink hot chocolate, and read lots of stories all snuggled up on the couch. Usually we do end up playing in the snow, too, which calls for a bubble bath to warm up afterword. What's not to love?

 

Winter holds within it the promise of spring.

It's that promise that gets me through the cold white days.

 



Sunday walk: Frozen fingers & tree snot

Our Sunday walk today was several degrees colder than last week's.

We were all pretty frozen by the time we got home, especially big brother J.'s fingers. He ended up borrowing my gloves for the most of the walk.

I know I didn't truly warm up until the next morning.

 

These bright little pom-poms bobbing along in front of me made my heart happy.

 

Probably because we were so cold, we didn't find as much to take pictures of.

We did find some unnaturally beautiful and bright rocks next to a neighbor's mailbox. It made me remember several art projects with rocks that I want to try with my kiddos.

Fun little burst of color.

 

Can we go in yet? 

 

Then we found this:

Whatever it was, it looked really gross!

So of course the kiddos wanted a picture!

"Tree snot" was our name for it.

Seriously, what is wrong with this tree?

Or could this be normal and we've just never noticed it before?

 

Always an adventure on the Sunday walk!

 



Ladybug Hill

After we got home from our walk last Sunday, it was so nice out we decided to check out the backyard and see if any signs of spring were stirring.

We saw 4 or 5 ladybugs on the slope!

I didn't expect to see any this early.

I confess, I'm a little worried about their chances of survival with more winter on the way. Well, didn't lose sleep over it, but you know--curious as to what they can be finding to eat.

 

In fact, J. and I decided we should rename our slope Ladybug Hill, because they really seem to congregate on all that weedy grass up there. Plus, it definitely has more of a ring to it than its former name: "the back slope." Yes, a creative bunch, aren't we?

 

1 orange rose hip 

I've got high hopes for this rose bush this year!

 

Yet another ladybug that was crawling up the house.

We were loving it! 

 

Could it be?

If you squint, you can see tiny green shoots poking up!

I believe these are the miniature daffodils, but I could be wrong, since I've always been too lazy busy getting them in the ground to mark exactly what went where.

(Although I tried a little harder last fall--at least I have general areas written down!)

Part of the surprise and wonder of spring.

 

p.s. I've decided I like a little more context in my pictures, hence the lovely A/C platform you see there. Most of my spring flower pictures from last year just showed the blooms, without much around them to clue me in on where in the flowerbed they were coming up. It would have been helpful to know such things last fall when I was putting shrubs in.

So here's to taking a step back and getting some context! 

Sunday Walk: Finding Beauty in Everyday Places

I'm linking up with the No Winter Whining meme again this week.

The theme is "Nature in Winter."

If that means weeds, cattails, and dirt icebergs, we're covered!

 

Within the last week most of our snow has melted, so the 2 older kiddos and I got out for a walk.

It was a bright, sunny day, and we all looked for things we thought were beautiful or interesting to take pictures of.

 

 

 

I was quite taken by this mossy rock. 

 

These, too.

 

"Look, Mom! The moss looks like little flowers!"

 

And then there was the dirt iceberg fascination.

 

(This one was my 5 year old's request.)

Interesting? Perhaps.

Beautiful? Not so much.

 

When I asked my 3 year old why I should photograph this particular one she said,

"Because it looks like a frog....with a hat on!"

 

Imagination is a beautiful thing. 

 

Then we reached the cattail park.

Oh, the joy to be had here!

There were even some fairly close to the path.

Our shoes [mostly] escaped the mud.

 

 

  

Yep, we did our part in keeping the cattail population alive and healthy.

You're welcome, city parks department.

Anytime. 

 

Mystery weed.

About the only green thing growing at the moment.

 

I believe these [hard to see] wavy dead weeds may have been thistles in a past life. 

 

Oh yes. Let's not forget the mysterious black cat roaming the far side of the park.

Wild animal it was not, but the kids were thrilled.

They tried to call it over, to no avail.

 

Finally, one big fat robin to end the walk on.

Does that mean spring is on the way?

Here's hoping!

Roots

I always used to think moving was exciting. The packing up, discovering a new place, meeting new people; all of it. We moved a handful of times when I was growing up, and I can still remember the giddy feeling of running through an empty house, opening every drawer and cupboard to see if any treasures were left behind, claiming a room as my own, then starting to open boxes.

In college I moved every year (twice a year, if you count moving home for the summer, then moving back to a new apartment in the fall); then I got married. In our almost 9 years of marriage we have moved 4 times so far. 

First home, first attempts at gardening: Kansas, 2007

 

While some excitement still remains, I'm starting to long for roots. For a place to stay from year to year, where I can watch my children, trees, and gardens grow, where I know every neighbor and every park and every grocery store. 

Now each time I move, I miss my friends, the comfort and convenience of knowing my way around, and yes, I miss my plants! It sounds kind of silly, but I sometimes wonder how my flowerbeds are holding up, or if the new owners have torn everything out to put their own ideas in. Friends have blogs or email addresses or phone numbers--I can keep up on their lives. With my flowers, I'm left to wonder: did all those happy hours dreaming up plans and digging in the dirt pay off? Are my flowers bringing joy to someone else now?

 

Missouri flowers, 2009 

 

Each place we live has presented different challenges, gardening-wise. I'd like to think I've learned something at each stop along the way.

One thing I have learned is that gardens are built in layers: hardscaping, trees, shrubs, perennials & annuals, bulbs, grass.  Then you have to add in local weather and climate, soil conditions, wildlife, pests. Heck, it takes a year or two just to get your bearings!

Another lesson that has been driven home again and again is that my time and resources are limited, so all my grand gardening dreams and plans must be taken on one layer or piece at a time. All too often, our moves (though necessary and good news from a big-picture point of view) have come when I was only 2 or 3 layers in. Just as I was really starting to get a feel for the space and what I'd like to see there. 

Front flowerbed, Washington, 2012

 



I'm ready to make it through all the layers! To see the pieces come together, one by one, to match the vision in my mind--or not, as the case may be. To eat apples and grapes from my own trees and vines. Literally, to see my labors bear fruit. To put down some roots and stay awhile!

In the meantime, I enjoy what I have while it's mine. I savor the beauty and fill my head with plans. I take pictures and post them on my blog to enjoy later. And try to learn a little something from each place.

Snow Falling

Just a few days after our snowflake party, down came even more snow!

I've decided that I like snow best as it's falling.

Those feathery flakes floating down make their own kind of magic.

If they're whirling down in a blizzard, I feel all the more cozy in my own little home.

They sure look lovely all piled up on the structures in the garden. 

 

Birdfeeder wears a hat, as does each garden block.

 

The aspens are quite lovely in outline.

 Raspberries against the side fence.

Feathery oregano and the remains of the basil. 

 

Red twig dogwood's winter debut.

I can't wait until this grows bigger! 

 

Back flowerbed.

There's always that strip along the house of uncovered ground.

While my usual flowerbed philosophy is "tough love" (I only love 'em if they're tough enough to take the current conditions), I just have a hard time leaving well enough alone sometimes. 

 

So I gave them a little extra winter cover.

We'll see how long it lasts.

Maybe those newly planted bulbs will get a little extra moisture, at least.

 

Just can't get enough of this snow-covered aspen.