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Runaway Woodchips and Resilience

Runaway Woodchips and Resilience
Photos by Northern Woodlands staff.

Our native plant pollinator garden continues to bring many challenges and rewards. After some woodchips washed away during heavy rains, we’ve been very much focused on drainage. In addition to digging a trench, we’ve had some tree work done, moved a bunch of stones, and received the autumn magazine. Nancy’s plants are growing beautifully, with a near 100% survival rate of the seeds started in our back-conference room this winter (lovingly referred to as our ‘greenhouse’).

We have more to do to complete the trench and adjust where the path meets the road, but we are learning a lot and ready to celebrate what we’ve accomplished so far. On Thursday, September 19, 2024, we will host an Autumn Open House and Garden Party to give you a chance to visit with us and see the garden for yourself. We hope you can join us! See details here.

Our thanks to the Jack & Dorothy Byrne Foundation, The Lyme Foundation, and the many generous neighbors who are making this project possible. Visit our Pollinator Garden Campaign to get involved.

Garden Resilience Gallery

Runaway Woodchips and Resilience Photo: Nancy Farwell
An unanticipated problem became apparent shortly after the earthwork was completed. The smooth gravel and road edge allowed runoff from the street to flow directly across the path and through the planting beds. Time to figure out a solution! | Photo: Nancy Farwell
Runaway Woodchips and Resilience Photo: Nancy Farwell
It seemed every rain storm was torrential. | Photo: Nancy Farwell
Runaway Woodchips and Resilience Photo: Nancy Farwell
At least it flowed across the driveway and into an existing swale. | Photo: Nancy Farwell
Runaway Woodchips and Resilience Photo: Nancy Farwell
The rain kept coming... | Photo: Nancy Farwell
Runaway Woodchips and Resilience Photo: Jack Saul
After several consultations with our contractor, we decided a small trench along the road edge would keep the runoff out of the garden and continue down the street. Here we start digging it out. | Photo: Jack Saul
Runaway Woodchips and Resilience Photo: Emily S. Rowe
More digging and laying in stone to reinforce the sides and bottom. | Photo: Emily S. Rowe
Runaway Woodchips and Resilience Photo: Emily S. Rowe
The trench was lined with landscape fabric for extra reinforcement. The stone is carefully placed to fill the bottom and stack up the sides. It must stay below grade so the plow truck doesn’t drag out the rock this winter. | Photo: Emily S. Rowe
Runaway Woodchips and Resilience Photo: Emily S. Rowe
Working together and demonstrating determination to resolve the problem. What a team! | Photo: Emily S. Rowe
Runaway Woodchips and Resilience Photo: Emily S. Rowe
This fix required another small load of stone. How many pounds of rock did we move this summer?! | Photo: Emily S. Rowe
Runaway Woodchips and Resilience Photo: Emily S. Rowe
Planning and installing the garden truly was a labor of love. | Photo: Emily S. Rowe
Runaway Woodchips and Resilience Photo: Emily S. Rowe
Northern Woodlands staff enjoys learning about the plants and watching the garden grow. | Photo: Emily S. Rowe
Runaway Woodchips and Resilience Photo: Emily S. Rowe
Hoping this potentially interesting plant hangs in there! It produces pink, feathery seed heads that look like smoke. The copper plant markers are beginning to show patina. | Photo: Emily S. Rowe
Runaway Woodchips and Resilience Photo: Emily S. Rowe
Signs of foraging visitors: most of the plants are deer resistant, but not sunflowers! | Photo: Emily S. Rowe
Runaway Woodchips and Resilience Photo: Emily S. Rowe
This sunflower survived the snack bar. Hopefully birds will find the seeds. | Photo: Emily S. Rowe
Runaway Woodchips and Resilience Photo: Emily S. Rowe
The autumn issue arrives! | Photo: Emily S. Rowe
Runaway Woodchips and Resilience Photo: Emily S. Rowe
A dying maple had to come down along the driveway, but now the garden has more sunlight. | Photo: Emily S. Rowe
Runaway Woodchips and Resilience Photo: Emily S. Rowe
We are proud of what we’ve accomplished this summer. We hope you’ll come by and visit the garden and see how it changes over time. We’ll continue to make adjustments and hope to add more elements in the spring. Thanks again to the generous donors making this all possible. | Photo: Emily S. Rowe

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