Woodland Gardening

I have a lovely little home in SE Iowa that I visit several times a year. The property has historical value with stories dating back to before Iowa became a state in 1843 - the original settlements in that area. There is a dirt road that passes along the east border and along a portion of that fence is a tree line. Actually there was a long section of trees lining both sides of the overgrown dirt road creating a canopy and a deep undergrowth of native plants beneath. I loved that area. Unfortunately this natural habitat of undergrowth has since been cleared by a helpful new neighbor with the best intentions. It looks lovely now but the wild mystery is lost.

However, remaining untouched in my yard under a canopy of trees  is a beautiful section of woodland vegetation. Wild flowers, low growing plant life exists creating a moist cool environment for birds, rabbits, butterflies and whatever else passes through on a hot Midwestern day. I love this little corner of my yard best of all. It is magical to me.

Woodland gardening like the English country garden is a seemingly unstructured paradise which is in fact their inherent natural beauty. The internet is filled with resources on creating these environments but does take time to organize and pull your favorites together. I thought this blog would be a good place to gather some of those tips and videos to share. Of course there are lots of resources out there but these are some of my favorites.

This video is a good foundation on layering, sunlight and the natural order of forest growth, followed by a video on the exquisite Garvan Woodland Gardens in Arkansas, USA.