PLANNING & MAINTENANCE GUIDE

SHADE GARDEN TREES & SHRUBS, PERENNIALS, AND GRASSES & FERNS

PREPARE:

September – January: Pick a location for your meadow that is generally sunny and well-drained. Existing lawn areas or fields are ideal. The size of the meadow should be determined by how much space you are willing to dedicate to the project and your budget. As a guide, a one-quarter acre meadow would require approximately 2,700 wildflower plugs planted 2 feet on center.

February – Late March: Work with a landscape professional or reputable nursery that specializes in native plants to place an order for wildflowers that can be scheduled to arrive for installation in mid-April – early May.

Late March – Early April: Begin preparing the meadow area by mowing it to a height of 2-3 inches. Continue to mow the project area until you are ready to install the wildflower plugs.

PREPARE:

Choose a location for your garden that receives full or partial shade from either nearby canopy trees or existing structures. Once you choose a suitable location, determine the size of the garden based on how much space you are willing to dedicate to the project and your budget. Once you determine the size of the area you are planting, work with a landscape professional/designer or native plant nursery that specializes in native plants to receive an estimate on how many plants should be ordered for your space. If there are existing plants in the space you identified, take an inventory, and decide what to retain and what to remove and replace. Pay particular attention to the guidelines for the plants’ recommended height and spacing.

Gain inspiration from local woodlands by noting the various vertical layers of plant life and aim to echo these layers in your design by including a mix of native plants in the upper canopy, understory, and ground layers.

RIPARIAN BUFFER TREES & SHRUBS

PREPARE:

Choose a location along your stream where the riparian buffer area is degraded or non-existent. Measure the square footage of the area you intend to plant. If your project involves planting where no buffer exists, measure outward from where the bank drops off to the stream; and while there is no specific ideal buffer width, the wider the buffer area, the greater the environmental benefits. We suggest a minimum of a 25’ buffer width.

Once you know the size of the area you will be planting, you can work with a landscape professional or reputable nursery that specializes in native plants to estimate how many trees and shrubs should be ordered. Typically, plants are spaced 12-15 feet apart.

Prior to planting, you may want to prepare the project area by mowing it to facilitate digging the holes.

PLANT:

Mid-April – Early May: Once your wildflower plugs arrive, it may be tempting to lay out plants in neatly arranged rows, but clustering plants together while still paying attention to plant spacing will echo the organic patterns found in nature. In addition, wildflowers planted in clusters with several plants of the same species within a few feet of each other will also help to attract more pollinators. Use a handheld auger (2” +/- in diameter) or shovel to open holes for your wildflower plugs. Then you can easily insert each plug in the hole and tamp the soil around it.

PLANT:

PRESERVE:

Early May – Early October: Once your wildflowers are planted, regularly inspect your meadow to ensure that invasive weeds are not colonizing the space. Hand pulling or cutting weeds below the height of native species should help to manage any invasives that may creep into your meadow.

Year Two and Beyond: Mow the entire meadow once a year in late March to early April to a height of about 6 inches -- before the young wildflowers start pushing through the grass. Although some landscape professionals recommend mowing meadows in the fall as well, leaving plants unmowed over the winter provides important food and shelter for wildlife during the harsh winter months. Should you decide to mow a second time in the fall, wait until the year following installation to give the young wildflowers a chance to establish. Wildflower plugs generally take three years to fully mature, so patience is required, but the result is well worth the wait!

PRESERVE:

Prior to digging holes and removing the plants from their containers, place them in the garden according to your intended design; this will allow you to visualize the layout and adjust plant spacing and location as desired.

We recommend planting the trees and shrubs first. To start, dig holes at least as deep as the container and twice as wide. Remove the plant from the container and loosen the roots, especially if they are tightly bound. Adjust your plant in the hole, adding or removing soil as needed so the root flare/crown (where the roots start to spread from the trunk or stems) is just above ground level. Tamp the soil around the roots as you fill the hole to ensure that the plant is firmly planted.

Once the trees and shrubs are planted, add the herbaceous plants as appropriate. Planting guidelines are similar to trees and shrubs, with a focus on proper hole depth and width, loosened roots, and tamped soil around the plant to provide the support it needs to grow. A good dose of water after all plants are in the ground--and regularly thereafter--will help ensure their successful adaptation to their new home.

PLANT:

Follow guidelines for spacing your trees and shrubs the appropriate distance from each other, but note that your plants do not need to be installed in perfect rows. Creating more naturalistic groupings of plants can echo the organic patterns found in nature.

Many of your trees and shrubs will likely arrive in pots. Dig the hole at least as deep as the pot and twice as wide. Remove the plant from the pot and loosen the roots, especially if they are tightly bound. Adjust your plant in the hole, adding or removing soil as needed so the root flare (where the roots start to spread from the trunk) is just above ground level. Take care not to bury the plant too deep or cover the trunk with soil, while making sure your plant isn’t sitting too high, with its top roots exposed. Tamp the soil around the root ball as you fill the hole to ensure that the plant is firmly planted.

Once you have planted your shade garden, it is important to mulch it annually and weed it regularly to give the native plants the best chance to establish successfully. Including a mix of diverse herbaceous plants that will spread and expand will also help to suppress weeds. Following the first 3 +/- years after installation, the garden should require less maintenance. While native plants are best suited to their region and generally require less care and maintenance than many non-native ornamental plants, it will likely be necessary to water plants for the first couple of years, especially during periods of drought or high heat during the height of summer.

PRESERVE:

Once your trees and shrubs are planted, it is important to protect them from deer damage! Placing tree guards or constructing your own fencing around individual trees or shrubs is the best way to protect them from deer until they become large enough to survive without protection (typically 8-10 years). Once installed, periodically check the plants and manually remove any aggressive vines climbing on the tree guards or fencing. Avoid the use of chemicals to fight the vines; they can harm the plants, insects, and the water system.

Written by Bill Hartman & Kristen Henwood