Landscapes in Progress - September 21, 2024 - Missionary and East Ridge Areas

East Ridge Member’s Description (Garden #1)

My garden is mostly sunny, some shade - there is a lot to explore in this postage stamp garden on a slope in East Ridge. In hopes of rewilding, I have been adding native plants, trees and shrubs into an existing 40-year-old garden over the past four years. The theme this year is to remove, remove, remove. Nandinas, check; pampas grass, check; butterfly bush, check, check, check! Slow and steady might win the race, but I will still buy a lot of plants at the native plant sale!!!

Missionary Ridge Member’s Description (Garden #2)

We moved into our home on Missionary Ridge at the end of 2015 and began simultaneously working to restore our new old house and grounds. The house was beautiful on the outside and not so much on the inside. The landscape was pretty bleak but ripe with potential; three quarters of an acre completely overgrown (except for the front lawn and an old badminton court area), covered in English ivy, Chinese privet, Asian wisteria and more. There are, however, some great old trees. The trees and the violets were pretty much the only native plants on the property.

In late winter/early spring of 2016, we worked on fencing, removing invasive species along the new fence line and clearing large areas of rubble and debris. Since 2017, we have been adding native trees, shrubs, and perennials changing and challenging ourselves as we go. 2024 has been the year of the least amount of garden time since we’ve been here so things are definitely wild! Feel free to ask about future plans - I am sure to make your eyes glaze over. It is always a bit hard to think of this as visitor-ready, but it is most certainly in progress! All are welcome.