Unfettered Wood: Gaelic Polytheism & Folk Magic: In the Belly of Garden Planning Madness

Japanese Ghost Fern & Wild Ginger

In my neck of the woods Spring has been teasing us with peaks of her face, and her inevitable emergence is just around the corner. With this, I have been really missing my old garden. I miss every single plant, and just about every single critter that would visit my garden. To distract myself I have been planning a garden for our new home.

I did not bring any of our outdoor plants with us, however I did bring quite a few containers along, some of my favourite pieces of garden kitsch as well as the stones that were used in our previous outdoor shrine, and of course my seed collection. Otherwise I am starting from scratch.

One of the things I am going to have to figure out is what other types of containers to get. There are all sorts of options out there, and while I tend to gravitate towards the pretties, they are generally more expensive and not always the most practical option. I am thinking of getting a few storage totes, as I have used them to grow things in before and they hold up. I could always gussy them up with some paint, and this would still make them a more affordable option. Plus, I have seen plans online on how to make them insulated for overwintering perennials, which I am keen to try out. More about that to come in a future post, I am sure.

Our balcony faces North-North East, and while it is sheltered and quite large, I don't think it makes sense to grow vegetables on it. I may grow some greens and will definitely grow some herbs, but what I want to focus on are some of my favourite shrubs and trees, woodland plants and plants that pollinators love.

Meadowsweet, loved by the bees and me.

My old hardiness zone was a 4 a or a 3 b and my new one is a 5 b or a 6 a, so it is quite a bit warmer here. That said, when growing perennials in containers, I really should be focusing on plants that will survive about two zones lower than the one I am in. Thankfully the plants that I am really drawn to fit the bill.

There is already a small gaggle of seedlings starting on the window sill of our office/craft room including a few different types of columbine, Japanese primrose, Fuji Blue balloon flower, cardinal flower, and foxgloves. But there are many more that I hope to put in our new garden.

Below is a list of all the pretties that I am hoping to cram into our new garden:

Trees & Shrubs