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Swapping Huckleberries

Himalayan Honeysuckle ( Vaccinium glauco album)  Himalayan Honeysuckle ( Vaccinium glauco album) has been an attractive feature along our north-facing foundation since I planted it in 2016. You will have to take my word for it since I cannot locate a photo although I know one exists somewhere in the realm of the Internet or floating on a cloud somewhere.  I did locate a photo of how it looked when it was first planted - It took a few years to fill out but it did so nicely to an attractive mound about 2 feet high by 3 feet wide.  Last year, it started to look bad.  I cut it back but it had not improved and this is how it looked a few weeks ago - I decided to rip it out and plant another huckleberry - this time Vaccinium ovatum , more commonly known as the "Evergreen Huckleberry".  This is a plant that I've wanted for ages and kept putting off getting one because I could not find a good place for it. By most accounts, this is an amazing plant, a native one and excellent for
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First winter project



This grassy pathway between the two borders has been problematic due to the fact that it is slightly uneven and the grass creeps into the borders. Michael wanted to do away with the grass altogether and replace it with gravel but I like the look the green grass gives and feel that it gives a calming place for the eye to rest since there is so much going on in the borders. There are only two areas of grass left in the entire garden - here and in the Pan garden area right off the deck in back.

The plan is to replace this grass with RTF (Rhizomatous Tall Fescue) which is what we have in back. The grass is beautiful, evergreen and best of all, it is well behaved. I am removing this grass so that the area can be leveled. I will build up the soil and let it rest for the winter before putting down sod next spring.

Removing grass is such a thankless job -


The border on the left in the above photo is slightly raised and I wanted to put a low retaining wall to hold the soil in better as well as providing a pleasing division between the grass and the border. 

I found these on clearance at a local rock yard months ago but wasn't sure they would work. I returned a few months later and was surprised to find that they were still there -

 


The color of the these rocks matches the brick on our house so I'm hoping this was a good decision. They are of varying sizes and some measure as long as 3 feet. But now, the question arises as to how they should be placed. Of course, Michael's idea was totally opposite from mine. 

I feel they should be stacked this way -


 but he thinks they should be turned on their sides to show the texture - 


The border measures about 55 feet long and the wall be only a foot or less. The border already has a curved shape to it and I intend to keep that if I can do that with these oddly shaped rocks.

 

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

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  1. Gardener on Sherlock StreetDecember 13, 2020 at 2:12 PM

    What a great project. Removing sod is just as you described. Ugh. Will be worth it when done.

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  2. Kris PetersonDecember 13, 2020 at 3:41 PM

    It looks like you've already made good headway on your project, Phillip. I admit that I like the texture of your new rock but imagine that ensuring the stability of the border edging is an important consideration in how you go about laying it out.

    ReplyDelete
  3. sweetbayDecember 13, 2020 at 5:41 PM

    Removing sod looks like hard work! The low retaining wall will be a nice addition.

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  4. Lisa at GreenbowDecember 14, 2020 at 10:28 AM

    That is one l-o-n-g thankless job ahead of you. It will be so nice when you are finished tho. I hate to tell you but I am with Michael on this one. I like the textured side of the stones exposed . But as Kris so sensibly suggested you need for them to set in a stable manner no matter what. I will look forward to seeing the end result.

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  5. chavlinessDecember 15, 2020 at 11:31 AM

    I wrote down the name of the new grass you intend to use. It sounds like you are satisfied with how it performs in the back garden. I may want to replace the last bit of grass left in my garden...
    It's going to be tough to decide on the bricks: beauty vs. stability... Will you back fill the new wall with additional soil? It may provide additional support if you decide to display the pattern. You'll probably need to test it both ways I suppose.
    Either way, it will look great at the end.

    ReplyDelete
  6. chavlinessDecember 15, 2020 at 11:31 AM

    I wrote down the name of the new grass you intend to use. It sounds like you are satisfied with how it performs in the back garden. I may want to replace the last bit of grass left in my garden...
    It's going to be tough to decide on the bricks: beauty vs. stability... Will you back fill the new wall with additional soil? It may provide additional support if you decide to display the pattern. You'll probably need to test it both ways I suppose.
    Either way, it will look great at the end.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hoover BooDecember 15, 2020 at 11:45 AM

    I love grass paths, so I'm with you there. Rest for the eye, plus the beauty of uniform green. In my climate, too dry for turf , rest is better provided by green hedges of tough native plants.

    The stones are attractive and on clearance--how could you resist? I'm certain you will work to discover what arrangment will be most durable.

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