>> So we just bought a house, and moved in in November. I don't know what the previous owners might have planted, since it was so late in the year when we moved in. But I have a cunning plan! <<
That's so exciting!
>> ... wait and see what comes up when spring comes. Then plan the rest of my garden around those things. <<
That's a good start. Things that will help involve various types of observation:
* Watch where the sun and shade fall in your yard. You can see the bones of it in winter, with the leaves gone; and then watch how that changes when everything leafs out in spring.
* Watch where the water travels in your yard, where the wet and dry areas are. This is easiest to see in late winter to early spring, because later on everything tends to dry out. You can find plants that like high or low water, but you need to know which to plant where. Soggy spots are good for rain gardens.
* Search for microclimates. These are places that are a little different from the overall yard. Frex, your house is a heat sink, so right next to its southern side may be a half-zone warmer. A windy hilltop is a good spot for anything prone to mildew.
* Look at what you have now (e.g. trees and shrubs) and what comes up in spring (bulbs, other perennials, etc.) then identify as much as you can. What are natives and what are introduced species? Are they all in logical places or did someone put bulbs in a wet spot where they won't thrive, or a willow up on a hill?
Consider this as a potential place for a birdbath, rain garden, or other water feature. Weeping trees go well with water, and a lot of them are water hogs so that one may already be in a wet spot.
>> There's a big lavender plant in the side yard <<
Lavender tends to like relatively dry, poor soil and can withstand a lot of sun. If it's big, that's a hint you may find those conditions in that part of your yard. Likely other Mediterranean herbs would do well nearby. Look at the ground. Does it have rocks, sand, or gravel? Someone may have built a rock garden or herb garden there.
>> and a couple of something-evergreen plants in the front by the weeping tree. <<
Pretty much any kind of evergreen can be turned into a shelter patch for wildlife. Think about creating layers with taller and shorter plants. You might add a roost box. A big brush pile may not fit in a small yard, but you could stack some logs or bricks to make a more concise shelter. A hibernaculum can be hidden underground. Add a birdfeeder a short distance from the evergreen for optimum viewing.
>> I know what kind of garden I want to plant, though it will probably have to be done over two or three years.<<
Take your time. You need at least a year to be pretty sure where the wet and dry, sunny and shady parts of your yard are. If you start with lots of annuals this year, then it won't matter much if you make a few mistakes. You can also build on whatever you already have -- anything that's already doing well should be in a good spot for its customary companions too.
>> I want a combination of: herbs, snowdrops, crocuses, perennials, pollinator-friendly plants, easy-to-care-for plants, native/non-invasive plants. I know there's a certain amount of overlap here.<<
American Meadows lets you shop by zone, region, desired wildlife, and other features.
>> I want to plant trees, but my impression is they take a lot of work and care and I'm not sure I have enough energy for them. Also I don't want any more leaves to rake than we had when we moved in. And trees can drop leaves in the neighbors' yards and I don't want to get off to a bad start with the neighbors. (But if I had my druthers I would want a copper beech. Just sayin'.) <<
Trees don't have to be a lot of work. Native trees in particular can largely take care of themselves. Aside from leaves, though, consider if a tree will produce nuts, fruits, or other things that you might want or not want.
>> Probably not a lot of vegetables, except maybe tomatoes in some pots. <<
Tomatoes grow well in pots, but so do some other vegetables. Note that you can grow vining plants in a container if they are up high and can trail down. I do that with my cherry tomatoes, they're up on a picnic table.
Congratulations!
That's so exciting!
>> ... wait and see what comes up when spring comes. Then plan the rest of my garden around those things. <<
That's a good start. Things that will help involve various types of observation:
* Watch where the sun and shade fall in your yard. You can see the bones of it in winter, with the leaves gone; and then watch how that changes when everything leafs out in spring.
* Watch where the water travels in your yard, where the wet and dry areas are. This is easiest to see in late winter to early spring, because later on everything tends to dry out. You can find plants that like high or low water, but you need to know which to plant where. Soggy spots are good for rain gardens.
* Search for microclimates. These are places that are a little different from the overall yard. Frex, your house is a heat sink, so right next to its southern side may be a half-zone warmer. A windy hilltop is a good spot for anything prone to mildew.
* Look at what you have now (e.g. trees and shrubs) and what comes up in spring (bulbs, other perennials, etc.) then identify as much as you can. What are natives and what are introduced species? Are they all in logical places or did someone put bulbs in a wet spot where they won't thrive, or a willow up on a hill?
Here are some other maps you may find useful to create.
>> I've been thinking in the meantime, though. It's a small yard but with plenty of places to plant and nourish things.<<
In a small yard, consider guilds or polycultures where the parts are designed to support each other. Say you find an oak tree, you could add other things around it. You may have room for a dwarf fruit tree or two, and that's another good base for a guild.
>>We have a small weeping tree in the front yard, also not yet identified<<
Here are some possibilities.
Consider this as a potential place for a birdbath, rain garden, or other water feature. Weeping trees go well with water, and a lot of them are water hogs so that one may already be in a wet spot.
>> There's a big lavender plant in the side yard <<
Lavender tends to like relatively dry, poor soil and can withstand a lot of sun. If it's big, that's a hint you may find those conditions in that part of your yard. Likely other Mediterranean herbs would do well nearby. Look at the ground. Does it have rocks, sand, or gravel? Someone may have built a rock garden or herb garden there.
>> and a couple of something-evergreen plants in the front by the weeping tree. <<
Pretty much any kind of evergreen can be turned into a shelter patch for wildlife. Think about creating layers with taller and shorter plants. You might add a roost box. A big brush pile may not fit in a small yard, but you could stack some logs or bricks to make a more concise shelter. A hibernaculum can be hidden underground. Add a birdfeeder a short distance from the evergreen for optimum viewing.
>> I know what kind of garden I want to plant, though it will probably have to be done over two or three years.<<
Take your time. You need at least a year to be pretty sure where the wet and dry, sunny and shady parts of your yard are. If you start with lots of annuals this year, then it won't matter much if you make a few mistakes. You can also build on whatever you already have -- anything that's already doing well should be in a good spot for its customary companions too.
>> I want a combination of: herbs, snowdrops, crocuses, perennials, pollinator-friendly plants, easy-to-care-for plants, native/non-invasive plants. I know there's a certain amount of overlap here.<<
American Meadows lets you shop by zone, region, desired wildlife, and other features.
https://riwps.org/guides-for-sustainable-landscapes/
https://dem.ri.gov/sites/g/files/xkgbur861/files/2023-09/pollinator-friendly-gardening.pdf
https://xerces.org/publications/plant-lists/native-plants-for-pollinators-and-beneficial-insects-northeast
https://www.thefarmersdaughterri.com/perennials
https://www.naturehills.com/trees-shrubs-perennials-for-rhode-island
https://dem.ri.gov/sites/g/files/xkgbur861/files/programs/bnatres/forest/pdf/riforest.pdf
https://www.wildflower.org/collections/collection.php?collection=RI
https://www.ufseeds.com/product/rhode-island-blend-wildflower-seed/WFRI.html
https://www.createdbynature.com/collections/rhode-island
>> I want to plant trees, but my impression is they take a lot of work and care and I'm not sure I have enough energy for them. Also I don't want any more leaves to rake than we had when we moved in. And trees can drop leaves in the neighbors' yards and I don't want to get off to a bad start with the neighbors. (But if I had my druthers I would want a copper beech. Just sayin'.) <<
Trees don't have to be a lot of work. Native trees in particular can largely take care of themselves. Aside from leaves, though, consider if a tree will produce nuts, fruits, or other things that you might want or not want.
https://ritree.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ForestOriginFormat.pdf
https://web.uri.edu/ipm/2023/04/beech-leaf-disease-in-ri-2023-update/
>> Probably not a lot of vegetables, except maybe tomatoes in some pots. <<
Tomatoes grow well in pots, but so do some other vegetables. Note that you can grow vining plants in a container if they are up high and can trail down. I do that with my cherry tomatoes, they're up on a picnic table.
https://growinginthegarden.com/20-best-vegetables-for-container-gardening/
>>And the herbs need to be happy wintering over outside, as we don't have much indoor space to keep pots of them. <<
Many herbs are annuals anyhow, like parsley. Some perennials are tougher than others.
https://thegardeningdad.com/best-herbs-to-grow-in-rhode-island/
https://gardenerspath.com/plants/herbs/cold-hardy-herbs/
>> There is one windowbox, by the kitchen window, which we might put some mint in, mint being hard to control if you plant it in the ground.<<
Yeah, but it grows well in containers too. If you like the running kinds of mint, consider a strawberry pot.
>>So! Any thoughts or suggestions are welcome. We are in Rhode Island, U.S. Zone 6.<<
My part of Illinois used to be Zone 5b. It is now 6a right on the edge of 6b. :/ Anyhow, I'm happy to talk about garden ideas.