Meadow

Looking back from the meadow, we can see the Rockery with the Terrace on top. Turning slightly to our right we can see the following view.

Now we are looking back up the path that we came down. The bare areas are the future wildflower meadow. Black strips are a special fabric laid for paths. The orange flags are used to lay out the design. We are looking back toward the house and Look Out Point is near the upper right hand corner of photograph. Here is proof that we did get wildflowers, and they were wonderful!


We have stepped into the Woodland Garden several feet back in order to get a wider view a bit more to our right. Now we are seeing the picnic table from the back. More of the bank is coming into view. Also, barely visible are the runs of fence that were installed for growing climbing plants. A later photo (below) shows the sweetpeas beginning to grow up the fencing. Paths are run both sides of the climbing fence for easy access.


The grassy area was further reduced when the sod was removed following the orange flags. In its place was planted a number of Siberian iris. This area of the bank faces south and because it is warm and soft fill dirt (remember the 600 loads of soil), the groundhogs/woodchucks/whistle pigs love to dig their burrows there. Husband/Best Friend/Chief Photographer counted over twenty large holes. It is a constant battle to live-trap and relocate the animals and fill the holes back in. They dig out an unbelievable amount of earth and of course it quickly washes downhill - thus my motto "Save my soil - toss it back uphill!" We place old limbs and stones to try to squelch the erosion. And, of course there are plants all over it, but most are weeds that have to be worked at constantly year round.

Now that we no longer have a chipper/mulcher machine, it is a challenge to manage all the organic material. Much is sent to the land fill: anything with thorns, diseased plant material, vines, and weeds going to seed. The rest is arranged along the long brush pile we built behind the long row of limbs placed on the ground. Hopefully it will all decompose, hold back any soil sliding down the bank, and eventually I will be able to get the shrubbery collection I hope to have on the bank.

Cliff Walk is the path that runs along the top of the bank. It was named for Cliff Walk in Newport, Rhode Island, USA.

Turning a bit more to our right so that we are now looking almost behind us, we see the view pictured below. It is to the left of the Woodland Garden. Remember the path going through the Woodland Garden is almost a circle. We are going to go in at the other side. The path will take us a loop through. We will then go behind the bench you see here and take a sharp left turn onto Cliff Walk and go back toward the house.



This view shows the other entrance to the Woodland Garden. This is the one we will take. Where that path takes a sharp turn to the left there are Virginia Bluebells planted on both sides of the path. They go dormant during the summertime and winter. But maybe we can find at least one for you to see.
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