The North Deck Garden is at our Ontario cottage outside of Toronto (zone 4). Like it sounds, the garden is beneath the deck, so it features shade tolerant ferns as well as daylilies, all harvested from roadside ditches in the area.
As per previous post, the daylilies had to come out because they were not going to fulfill their purpose of hiding where the fence meets the ground; they grow too much towards the lake and its sunlight. On top of that, the further under the deck they are, the less likely they are to bloom.
So I decided to move them to the front and change the garden from a 'fern patch', with ferns randomly filling the space, to a more traditional design with the big ferns at the back and the shorter daylilies in the front.
The daylilies are laying down in this photo after transplant but will come up fresh and vigorous next year, hopefully with enough sun to get at least some blooms.
(Just fyi - at the base of every pillar are two Clematis: one white and one purple.)
The three of five ferns I had to transplant were all massive and extremely heavy, my guess is fifty pounds.
To keep earth from covering the lawn I always place transplants on a nearby tarp. Having them all collected also helps me to get a sense of how much material I have to work with.
I will post some progress photos in early July, by which time I expect it to have filled out quite nicely and a previously muddy patch will have been transformed into lush greenery.
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That's a great idea to hold the transplants on a tarp! We've lost some in the confusion of moving them before!
ReplyDeleteKeeping them on the tarp also prevents lots of dirt from getting all over the lawn!
DeleteOh good idea about the tarp. I look forward to following your garden this season Derek.... Michelle
ReplyDeleteThanks Michelle, it will be interesting to see what has survived this very cold winter and what has not.
DeleteI love the Clematis climbing up the deck. And I love Haliburton: you're so fortunate to have a sanctuary there. -Jane in Hamilton
ReplyDeleteJane, you are right, we just love the cottage it is a real sanctuary. Glad you found the site because the plant combinations should all work for you if you see anything you like.
DeleteIt will be such a pretty area next year for sure! Love your clematis though!
ReplyDeleteYes, the Clematis really add a nice touch. They would be fuller if they got ore sun, but they get enough to bloom and sometimes that is enough.
DeleteBlogger said "You don't own this identity" Hmm:) I love ferns, and you have the right climate for it! But here in California it's dry and hot...
ReplyDeleteI really love ferns, they have a prehistoric feeling to them. Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
DeleteI like your fern garden under the deck. It looks lush!
ReplyDeleteBeth, it is amazing that those plants grow in the ditches and can be transplanted (though it is a lot of work). Their 'lushness' is exactly what I like about them to, so it will be interesting to see this summer if they recover form their transplant unscathed.
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