Reclaiming Space

A few years ago, my husband and I uprooted our family. We moved from the southeastern part of the U.S. to New England. Our first spring was a wonder of discovery as I learned that we had climbing roses, peonies, and lilac trees. Most of the plants in our new yard were foreign to me. As the days grew longer, we found white mulberries and tart cherries.

Some of my findings sparked less joy. A section of the property, about 1000 square yards, had been abandoned to the elements. Every tree was covered with ivy; branches and brambles covered boulders and prevented sunlight from reaching the ground. Invasive species such as garlic mustard and oriental bittersweet challenged me to explore ways to control rather than eliminate. The groundhog under our shed loves the garlic mustard but it outcompetes native plants and inhibits the growth of more desirable species. Oriental bittersweet was likely planted to help with erosion but neglect has allowed it to choke the native maples and pines. Estimating the rate of growth, it’s been 10 years since that area was even raked.

Last summer, I hired a landscaping crew to cut as much of it back as possible. They looked at me crazy when I instructed them to not pull anything but to leave the root structures intact. The hill our house is on is eroding away. With every storm, more of the soil washes away and I worry that aggressive landscaping will have serious consequences. During the last two years, I have tested the soil (it’s more acidic than average), learned about native groundcovers, explored erosion mitigation strategies, and how to optimize our green spaces naturally.

Over the next 2–5 years, I will gradually change the eco-system by enhancing the soil, introducing beneficial native plants, and limiting the growth of less desirable shrubs and vines. Ideally by promoting the attributes I want, competition will favor the new plants.

Buckwheat will be my new groundcover. It’s great at self-sowing, enriches the soil, thrives in a dry sunny area, and will provide lots of flowers for our pollinators. The larger oriental bittersweet will be replaced by Heritage raspberry bushes. Within 3 months, flowers will replace woody vines. Within six months, fruit will be available for the birds, groundhog, oppossoms, and fisher cats. Within 2 years, there will be less ticks and less mosquitos to bother my family as we enjoy our tiny slice of heaven.

My goal for my yard is to foster a healthy ecosystem that supports all life, from the smallest insects to the humans who share this space.