Creating the garden
Walmer Woodlands
- small, 2-acre plot of land
- canopy of oak, hickory, beech, ironwood, dogwood, tulip poplar, sweet gum, etc.
- native understory: 4 species of ferns, several natural ground covers, etc.
- invasive species: Stihl grass, ect.
- in the Piedmont of NC (GPS coordinates are 35.9933, -790668)
- on a slope near a hilltop, 535 feet above sea level
- 8a growth zone. (recently changed from 7b)
We created a 0.3 mile path through the woods that is being lined with understory plants to demonstrate what will grow well in this habitat. Plants that do well will be propagated and made available to local gardeners.
We are having fun letting paths name themselves. (see below)
- Our long-haired Dachshund, Oliver, frequently takes a short cut when we walk the path. That is Oliver's Crossing.
- Leon Dorleans, a twin brother from Haiti spent a week with me after I retired from a medical practice in Sept. 2023. He started laying down mulch in a direction that we never planned and that became Leon's Loop.
Deciding what plants to introduce has been an interesting journey. I am learning that amateur and professional gardeners and horticulturalists can get emotional about the native vs. non-native plant debate. This is so apparent that sometimes opinions are not shared unless they come up in conversation and similar opinions are shared.
The path
