Introduction

This blog is intended to document my attempts at backyard gardening in Milton Village, Massachusetts, just across the Neponset River from Boston. We moved here from the city a few years ago, but I have only gone beyond mowing the lawn and raking the leaves since the spring of 2013. The property has several sections of (more or less) tended gardens, plus a large forested area.

For the most part the gardens are part sun, part shade, but a few areas get sun most of the day. USDA hardiness zone is 5b, though I believe my micro-climate might be more like 6a or even 6b.  I am in the Boston Basin eco-region (59d) according to PlantMaps.com.

My aspirations are multiple:

1. Plant a butterfly garden:  This is about 40'x40', full to part sun, mostly on a slope. I started last year (2013), using all native plants (though I am undecided whether to use North American plants that are not natural to this region). Focus is on plants that will attract butterflies, bees, hummingbirds, etc. This should have color from early spring to late fall if possible.

2. Return the forest to a more natural state:  The trees are mostly mature sugar maple and butternut, without a lot of undergrowth - about one acre total. The main problem is that it is overrun with euonymus fortunei; my goal is to eradicate this and replace it with native ground covers that are aggressive enough to spread on their own (plus maybe some shrubs and understory trees). There is also some Japanese barberry, euonymus alatus, and Norway maple, all of which should go. In addition, I want to get rid of the remaining poison ivy; I have fought this war for a couple of years now, and I think 2014 will be the final battle, other than a few skirmishes. (I know this is a native plant, but my allergy trumps my philosophy.)

3. Maintain one existing large (~ 30'x100') garden and several smaller ones: These have a variety of sunlight, water, and soil conditions. There are already quite a few non-native plants, which I won't remove, but most or all new plantings will be native. I would like these gardens to be pretty low maintenance, to keep from being overwhelmed. Other than that, it would be nice to have color and visual interest, and maybe some cut flowers for the house.

4. Improve the lawn area:  The grass is just OK, but with a fair number of weeds - crabgrass, dandelions, violets (though I like these in the gardens), and some stuff I can't identify. I would prefer to deal with this organically, though my wife may not agree.

I will post pictures of the plants periodically, and write about my tactics, successes and failures. I could use advice, especially on identifying many of the plants already here. Wish me luck!