A Year in the Woodlands

One year ago today I began my blog, despite relative computer and blogosphere ignorance. Thanks to a Squarespace template and my engineer son's advice, I was able to get started. On this journey I have virtually explored many fabulous gardens and made a number of internet friends. I have been encouraged in my own efforts at gardening, and I am constantly inspired by what I see other gardeners do. I would like to say thanks to all of you who visit my blog. Your support means a lot to me, and I am still humbled when people leave comments on my simple blog.

To celebrate, I am looking back over the past year in my gardens. Today I will cover the woodland garden, and then over the next few posts I will cover other parts of Deb's Garden. 

So lets begin! 

Walking down our drive, one can see an overview of part of the woodland garden. These photos were taken from roughly the same spot at different times of the year, with the last shot being taken this week:

Here are seasonal views taken from the main entrance to the woodland garden:

These are photos taken looking back toward the woodland entrance:

Midway through the woodlands there is a little side path:

And finally we come to the upper end of the woodland garden. Notice the addition of the little blue bridge. I did that in April. I ordered it, thinking it would come partially assembled. Not so. It came in a hundred pieces. I put it together myself, using power tools for the first time. I'm very proud of it!

Thanks for reminiscing  over the past year in the woodlands with me. I am fortunate that our property came with mature trees, and this area is a constant source of pleasure to me. Creating a garden here has been a true labor of love.

You may also enjoy:

An Award No Lizard Can Give

Seven Steps to Making a Woodland Garden

A Year in the Front Garden

A Year in the Lady Garden

A Year by the Patio

A Year in the Lower lawn and Words About Maintenance

Nandina: Is it Heavenly or Not?

Nandina domestica, also called heavenly bamboo, is a plant that grows in my woodland garden. It was already here when we came in 1985, and I have loved its lacy foliage and bright red berries. It is absolutely a low maintenance plant, requiring no fertilization, no extra watering, and no pruning. It will survive draught, floods, and fire and is deer and rabbit resistant. Individual plants can have a life span greater than a hundred years.Nandina in the woodland setting, growing in the foreground in this June photo of my woodland garden

The perfect plant? Unfortunately, no. In many areas of the South the species is considered an invasive plant. In my state, Alabama, it is listed as a plant of concern. Nevertheless, it is widely sold in garden centers, and about the only way to get rid of mature plants is with chemical herbicides, though smaller plants can be pulled by hand.

Nandina is native to eastern Asia. Despite its common name, heavenly bamboo is not a bamboo at all. It is a member of the Barberry family, but its beautiful leaves do resemble bamboo leaves. The species grows five to eight feet tall, though there are many dwarf cultivars available. Nandina grows best in humous rich, well drained soil in sun to partial shade. It will grow in dry shade, producing fewer berries. It survives in hardiness zones 4-10, though the normally evergreen plant may not prosper and will be deciduous in the coldest regions.

Young leaves are bright pink, turning to green in early summer, then taking on bronze and rosy hues in autumn. In early summer, eight to twelve inch clusters of white flowers are held above the foliage. The flowers are followed by green berries that mature to bright red in late fall.

The above photo was taken in August, 2010.This photo was take December 31, 2009. The leaves and berries were edged with frost.All parts of the plant are poisonous to humans. Warning! Ingestion can be fatal. Research shows the berries are also toxic to birds and other wildlife, who do not always recognize them as poisonous. 

Some of the cultivars do not produce fruit and should not be invasive. One I have planted is Nandina 'Firepower'. It is a dwarf form with multihued leaves which provide wonderful color accent in the garden. I like the way it complements other plants in the garden.Nandina 'Firepower' foliageNandina 'Firepower' and caryopteris

As mention previously, nandina doesn't usually require pruning, but if desired for size control, pruning can be done any time of the year. Never sheer across the top. Instead, prune individual branches at different heights throughout the plant. I don't fertilize mine, but an evergreen fertilizer may be applied once a year if needed.

 Addendum: Please read about my decision to take out the nandinas, as well as the mahonias, in my garden: My Decision