Creek Reclaimed

Several years ago I uncovered our spring outflow creek. At the time, I lined the creek walls with stone and planted Joe-pie weed in place of blackberries, nettles and horsetail rush. All my hard work once again became impenetrable and the rock work long buried. Last spring Debi, a very generous friend, gave me 18 rhododendrons. Needing a place to plant them, I again tackled the area along the creek and rebuilt the waterfall. Because this area is our source of water, I had to hand pull all of the weeds. I brought in and placed some very large boulders. Twelve ferns and the 18 rhodys were then planted. Our soil is thick clay. To plant the ferns and rhodys, I first had to dig the hole and fill it with sandy loam. The plants were placed on the loam and several inches of loam put on and around them. Yesterday, I spread 30 tractor buckets of chip and bark over the entire area. I still have several more loads of mulch to spread and need to find a few hundred rocks to rebuild the creek walls but that work may have to wait for summer. The ground is now too soft to use the tractor in the woods to dig for rocks or drive across the now muddy lawn with more loads of chip.

waterfall rhodys, ferns and boulders

The blackberry brambles across the creek will also have to wait until next summer - after I deal with all of the brambles that will inevitably come up in this garden.