CREATING YOUR GARDEN IN THE WOODS

When the developers of the Georgian Highlands asked Cynthia Hendry to landscape their Mountain Laurel Show Home, she intended to take a look but say no. She works almost exclusively in Big Canoe, another mountain community in North Georgia. However, the site and the vision of the developers – to create a nature preserve that sustains human habitat with little or no impact to the natural environment – caused her to reconsider. Ramesh Venugopal, the managing partner, is passionate about preserving the area. For him, “The year-round beauty of the Georgian Highlands is due, in large part, to its beautiful vistas adorned by native plants.”

Located at the gateway to the Southern Appalachians, the Georgian Highlands offers three to ten acre high-elevation home sites in a 3500-acre parcel surrounded by three national forests and thousands of acres of protected wilderness area. Jim Smith, a retired forester, tells us, “The deciduous hardwood forest has been undisturbed for many years, and the acidic soils of this pristine environment support a rich understory of smaller trees, shrubs, wildflowers, and herbaceous plants. Our goal is to create a community within a park rather than a park within a community.”

With this vision in mind, Cynthia was asked to create a landscape that would demonstrate the ideal, and serve as a sort of botanical garden of native plant ideas for new residents to use in designing their own landscapes.

The biggest challenge was an expanse of 30 feet from the back of the house’s two-story elevation to the forest edge of mature hardwoods. This area had to be completely cleared to build the septic field for the house. In addition, the slope of the site presented some unique demands. As I toured the site with Cynthia, Jim, and Ramesh, they explained some of the elements to consider when integrating a home site with the natural environment and trying to recover from construction.

1. Create windows through the trees. While clearing or topping trees can improve the view, these methods can have a negative impact on both the environment and privacy. In winter, leaves fall from the trees opening up views naturally. Minimal pruning can create windows to admire the view during other seasons of the year. A bonus is the changing view as new growth appears in the spring and frames the view with spectacular color in the fall.

2. Reuse all materials found onsite. Walk the entire site and identify plants to save. Look for perennials and ferns that can be transplanted – especially those that need division. The strategic placement of moss can make the garden appear more mature, and helps to blend the landscape into the surroundings. At Mountain Laurel, a spectacular stand of Carolina Silverbell trees near the house was carefully protected during construction. The few trees that had to be removed were turned into mulch. Thick topsoil was transferred from disturbed areas and used elsewhere.

3. Make a natural looking transition from house elevation to forest edge. Rather than grading, protect against erosion and navigate the natural slope with paths and structure. Cynthia made wide “S” curving paths that follow the contour lines of the property and create shallow descents. Stone smoothed by years of exposure was stacked in softly curving lines to retain the slopes. The big challenge was to select plant material that visually supported the architecture of the house and made the transition to the woodland. A few fast growing tall trees were needed in addition to understory trees, and shrubs. Because we have very few native evergreens suited to this elevation, Cynthia selected natives from elsewhere in the Southeast that she felt could adapt and thrive. For example, Bald Cypress Taxodium distichum is a highly adaptable, fast growing tree reaching to 70 feet with a narrow pyramidal habit. Even without a lawn, areas for relaxing should be included. Think about how the scene will evolve as the landscape matures to ensure trees and shrubs won’t block the view.

4. Match the right plant to the site. Consider plant and site conditions. For example, different plant communities thrive on dry, south facing slopes than appear on stream banks or cool, north facing slopes. Cynthia’s final design included 143 different species, so do choose a wide variety of plant materials. As you arrange the plants, think about how they grow naturally. Some tend to form dense colonies, while others are found widely dispersed. For more information on native plants, visit the the Georgia Native Plant Society website.

Most of all, don’t introduce exotic invasives that can actually harm the environment. Though Kudzu is not sold in nurseries, many of the most invasive plants can still be found in the nursery trade, including Chinese privet Ligustrum sinense and English Ivy Hedera helix. For more information on invasive pest plants, visit the Georgia Exotic Pest Plant Council website.

5. Bring the outdoors inside with the sound of water.
Cynthia built three long streambeds, which all emptied into a large pool with babbling waterfalls. Not a small undertaking, the 200 feet of streambed and pool areas used many tons of worn and moss-covered fieldstone from Tennessee and Arkansas.

6. Plan for low maintenance. Properly sited native plants withstand regional temperature and moisture extremes better than many exotics. By planting in the fall and early spring, plants become established before the stressful summer season, potentially avoiding the need for irrigation. Without a large expanse of grass lawn, mowing is eliminated. And, the use of a bog area as part of a natural filtration system can significantly reduce maintenance of ponds.
Hendry says, “While the landscape might look a bit contrived at first, as the plantings, mosses, and lichens grow and weather, the entire work will appear to be part of the forest.”

Cynthia Hendry owns Woodland Gardens in Big Canoe, GA and is well known for her extensive knowledge of Georgia natives. Donna Wright (Donna Wright Interiors) is also well known in Big Canoe and is an award winning nature photographer. Jim Smith works with the Georgian Highlands and others as a Native Plant Consultant and Registered Forester. He is also a past president of the Georgia Native Plant Society. More information on the Georgian Highlands can be found at The Georgian Highlands.

Photos courtesy Donna Wright and Jim Smith and Cynthia Hendry

This article was previously published in the March 2005 issue of Georgia Gardening Magazine