gardening | planning my garden for the spring

planning my garden for the spring

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!

... wait and see what comes up when spring comes. Then plan the rest of my garden around those things.

I've been thinking in the meantime, though. It's a small yard but with plenty of places to plant and nourish things. We have a dozen shrubs that I have yet to identify--harder in winter when there are no leaves or flowers left; but I downloaded one of those apps where you take a picture and the magic electrons tell you what you've got. We'll see if that works.

We have a small weeping tree in the front yard, also not yet identified, but I should be able to do that with the app. Same with what I think is a hydrangea and something that seems to be two plants growing all entangled with each other--one is a rose but I don't know what the other is nor why they are growing as they are.

There's a big lavender plant in the side yard and a couple of something-evergreen plants in the front by the weeping tree.

I know what kind of garden I want to plant, though it will probably have to be done over two or three years. 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.

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'.)

Probably not a lot of vegetables, except maybe tomatoes in some pots. And the herbs need to be happy wintering over outside, as we don't have much indoor space to keep pots of them. 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.

So! Any thoughts or suggestions are welcome. We are in Rhode Island, U.S. Zone 6.

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I'm in a very different area than you (US gulf coast), but do want to give you the heads up that bulbs need to be dug up and replanted every few years because they make little baby bulbs and if you let them do their own thing they'll over compete themselves out of existence. I didn't realize that when I put gladiolus in my front garden bed and am now having weed problems because many of my larger more mature plants died.

Oh, thank you! I knew that bulbs spread but didn't know that they could overdo it. :0)

I didn't know either until it happened. I thought that since we didn't freeze much here that I could just plant them and forget about it forever. Then I started seeing lots of small leaves and fewer mature plants that bloomed, asked a more experienced gardening relative, and learned that I should be digging them up every four or five years to spread them back out.

This depends on 1) the type of bulbs you have and 2) where you put them.

* If you have "landscape" or "naturalizing" bulbs, or any of the native species, they are likely to spread. They tend to have fairly basic colors and shapes, but are vigorous.

* If you have fancy bulbs, then few of them are prone to spreading and they rarely last more a season or few. However, they have more dramatic colors and shapes.

* If you put bulbs in a confined bed with rigid borders, they are more likely to overrun it. They can't get out except by seeding and they have little or no competition.

* If you put bulbs in a yard or a bed that is only defined by a grass edge, they are less likely to become crowded. They have room to move and they also have competition from other plants.

I have naturalized daffodils that have been in place for decades with no problem. I also had to dig out the confined bed because last spring it was more leaves than flowers. I probably pulled hundred of little bulblets out of there, and left the biggest ones in hope of getting some flowers. The extras I distributed around the yard in other places.

To determine what you have in a new house, you can:

1) Observe the flowers in spring and compare them to things in a bulb catalog to see if they look more like the fancy or plain bulbs there.

2) If you see lots of leaves but few flowers, the bed would probably benefit from division.

3) Or you can just wait until they quit flowering, then do a bit of test digging to see if the bed is crowded or not.

https://www.thespruce.com/is-it-necessary-to-divide-spring-bulbs-1402236

Thanks, so helpful.

Exciting to see what comes up! We were in a similar situation when we moved into our house.

Thyme is my favorite herb to have around.

Thyme tastes good and smells great, nom. One thing I'm considering for some ground cover in some bare spots in the yard is creeping thyme.

Good luck! Your plan of waiting to see what comes up is very sensible.

There are lots of winter-hardy herbs. Sage, thyme, rosemary, oregano, bay, tarragon, mint, lemon balm etc. Mint likes relatively damp cool soil so it's probably happier contained in a pot sunk into the soil than a windowbox.

Trees don't really take any care except watering in droughts if they're very young, and pruning if they're fruit trees and you want to train them. Otherwise you can leave them be. Copper beeches are lovely if you have space (but be aware they cast very deep shade, so if you've got a copper beech in a small garden, that's about ALL you have!)

I'd love to have trees on general principle, but I'll be setting that dream aside for a number of reasons. It's good to know they aren't all that much work! :0)

Daffodils are a safe bet as squirrels and deer don’t eat them (they can be toxic to dogs, though). Be careful if or where you plant juglone producing trees, like Black Walnut: these can kill your vegetable plants.

Happy Spring planning!

Good to know that daffodils are pest-resistant. I'm thinking of just going wild on bulbs. :0)

I think it's a fantastic idea to wait until spring to see what you already have to work with.
Also, congrats on the house/move!!

I'm thinking I should take pictures of what comes up and where, and/or draw cute little maps or charts...

(Also, thank you! We're so excited about OWNING A HOUSE.)

YES to the cute little maps or charts!

I love me a good batch of cute little charts or maps or... or, well, just about any collection of "cute" or "little."

Same here! :D

I've kind of been wanting to making a cute little fantasy styled map of my local area.

Lol, if you make one I want to see it.

>> 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?

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.

Thanks for all the info and links! :-)

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