Creating Understory

Eight years of planning and planting transformed this garden into a place of exceptional beauty. The process began beneath mature trees, covering grass and weeds with newspapers and soil, adding an irrigation system, and then planting the garden of perennials, displayed today as the glorious understory.

Under large oaks in the parking strip, Corsican hellebores, red twig dogwoods, Himalayan maidenhair ferns, black mondo grass, crocosmia and day lilies are cleverly mirrored. In tiered sections on either side of steps to the front garden, look for the eye-catching parahebe, oriental arborvitae, variegated columbine and the evergreen groundcover lithodora.  Thriving under the cherry trees are daphnes, goat’s beard, hydrangeas, and ferns. Self-seeding astrantias, with star-shaped flowers, along with poppies, and coneflowers fill in the upper level.

The back garden holds a spacious entertaining area with views of trees and understory and a large vegetable and fruit garden. Mature pin oak, vine maple, rhododendron, glory bower and lilac provide shade for the patios. Under these taller plantings, notice abutilon, hydrangeas and Solomon’s seals.

The star of this garden is a U-shaped, waist-high raised bed that makes year-round eating from the garden possible.  Conveniently accessible from all sides, it requires no bending and little tilling, allows for good drainage, and is critter free. Raspberries and blueberries grow in the sun at the back of the garden, with tomato and tomatillo plants nearby. The moss on the garage roof is intentionally undisturbed for bird and squirrel nest building.