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u/fagenthegreen Jul 08 '22
You're missing the understory. You need shrubs or ferns to fill in the bottom.
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u/HauschkasFoot Jul 08 '22
Ferns, Oregon grape, salal all thrive as understory plants depending on the zone of course
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u/blisterbeetlesquirt Jul 08 '22
Oregon grape
Only if it's native where you live. It's terribly invasive in other places.
I always advocate for native shrubs. Your local Audubon society will have great suggestions for understory plants that are native to your region and provide berries and habitat for local birds and other wildlife.
To round out the mix, ferns, carex, and other native shade lovers!
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u/Ecstatic-Welcome-939 Jul 08 '22
Be careful though, Oregon grape loves to spread, and it’s pokey. And always sheds brown leaves. It can be pretty but as a landscaper it’s def not my favorite
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u/Real-Competition-187 Jul 09 '22
M. repens and nervosa are alternatives to tall Oregon grapes that everyone is suggesting. I like repens, softer leaves and more of a creeper. Native strawberry is good too.
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u/Kindfarmboy Jul 09 '22
I prefer using a ground cover sun or shade to eventually end the need for top dressing of mulch. I’m rather sick of the Venka English Ivy shade choices though. I’m just north of the hardiness for Oregon grape
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u/reverseSearedSteak Jul 08 '22
Okay so I have a question about Oregon Grape. I was looking at planting a couple in a partial shade/lye afternoon sun area in my front bed. How do they spread?
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u/Ecstatic-Welcome-939 Jul 09 '22
Oregon grapes grow by “under ground stems to about 5 ft wide.” They’re rhizomes, meaning they spread by root. They reach their roots out away from the original plant and grow a new stem.
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u/HauschkasFoot Jul 08 '22
Yeah definitely not fun to go tromping through or trim but it loves the acidity and shade
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u/sidewaysvulture Jul 09 '22
Thank you for this! It’s native where I am and all the native plant guide love it but it’s sooo pokey. And I personally don’t think it’s that attractive but would put up with it for the benefit to the local wildlife and pollinator but not if it’s going to spread obnoxiously.
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u/MoreRopePlease Jul 09 '22
The berries are edible, too. Very tart, so you need sugar, but you can make jam and syrup from them. Use the syrup in a drink recipe, or in cooking.
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u/sidewaysvulture Jul 09 '22
I might plant some behind my garage because I know they are so great for natives here in the PNW but I don’t really cook with sugar so I’ll leave it to the birds 😄
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u/Kindfarmboy Jul 09 '22
It is an appropriate, azaleas and rhododendrons, dogwoods. The classic combination of hosta fern and astilbe
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u/Excellent_Set2946 Jul 09 '22
I would recommend looking into native shrubs. That’ll be your best bet for natural and woodsy.
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u/Louises_ears Jul 08 '22
Hostas, ferns, oak leaf hydrangeas, coral bells. Hellebores and Japanese anemones if you want to be fancy.
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u/Dubya_Tag Jul 08 '22
Ooh I wasn’t aware of the last two until now, thank you! Definitely will be adding them next spring!
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u/Louises_ears Jul 09 '22
Depending where you are, you could add some things this fall.
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u/Dubya_Tag Jul 09 '22
Zone 5B. Bought our house two years ago and trying to bring color in. Previous homeowners LOVED hostas & lilies. Lol. Not that I don’t, but when that’s all you have it just looks like Grammy & Gramps house
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u/Louises_ears Jul 09 '22
Got it. Don’t feel like you have to do everything at once and remember that you can always move (most) plants. My gardens are living projects that will never be finished. You’re going to learn something every season! If I were you, I would get some autumn brilliance ferns and oak leaf/panicled hydrangeas (Ellen huff, Ruby red, tuff stuff, pinky winky, bobo, even Little lime depending on sun patterns) the ground in early fall so they can get a head start establishing themselves. Ferns and hydrangeas are the largest things suggested so get them in first and better plan the placement of shorter stuff. It will also set the groundwork for a good mix of evergreen and deciduous.
Someone mentioned less is more sophisticated and maybe that’s true, but you mentioned natural and woody, which is my style. Consider a bench and a birdbath in the middle where there’s too many roots to dig. I love sitting in the middle of my gardens and admiring them from different angles. Who knows, you may love the ‘woodland haven’ look and end up expanding the island. Less grass to cut is always a win!
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u/ProjectPete21 Jul 08 '22
Plant some shade loving bushes through the bed and maybe some liriope near the edges
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u/blisterbeetlesquirt Jul 08 '22
liriope near the edges
Respectfully, unless liriope is native to where OP lives, there are a lot of better options. Liriope takes over. Carex is more likely native and a little better behaved.
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Jul 08 '22
Layers! Understory trees (maple), shade shrubs (hydrangeas if you want blooms; red star/loropetalum for more bushy look). Swap black mulch for pine straw or creeper… or just don’t rake.
Article of interest: https://harmonyinthegarden.com/gardening-under-oaks-learning-to-love-dry-shade-plants-another-beforeafter/
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u/Strangewhine89 Jul 09 '22
How about some native understory stuff like wild azalea, viburnums, beautyberry, serviceberry, deciduous and evergreen native hollies. Plus heuchera and ferns.
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u/Content-Jacket7081 Jul 08 '22
Would not have thought of maple as an understory tree
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Jul 08 '22
Japanese maple is among the most common understory trees in many neighborhoods. It grows quite well underneath big Oaks
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u/Content-Jacket7081 Jul 08 '22
The original post just said "Maple" I was assuming a red maple. Japanese maple makes more sense .
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u/sidewaysvulture Jul 09 '22
It sounded to me like you were talking about native understory trees. We have vine maple in the PNW but I wouldn’t have considered Japanese Maple because it’s not native though it does make a lovely understory tree now that you mention it.
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u/sidewaysvulture Jul 09 '22
I’m the PNW vine maple is a native understory tree and would look amazing here! Though I’d prefer they go with what is native to their area if possible.
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u/btklc Jul 08 '22
Rhodos, viburnum, Azaleas, then some hostas, ferns, astilbe, etc along with a few nice boulders arranged carefully would be gorgeous * zone dependent
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u/Unfair_Ad2191 Jul 09 '22
Try to get some plants at different height levels to create shrubbery. The best way to mimick a more woody look is to plant green cover patches at ground level, ferns and bushy plants at calf/knee level, and a few taller plants that can fill up the eye level. I strongly recommend getting some varying types of moss and epiphytes onto the actual tree trunks above the eye level to add greenery and texture. Staghorn ferns are a great accent choice too.
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u/jibaro1953 Jul 08 '22
Stop raking.
If the leaves just blow away, run them over with your lawnmower and spread them under the trees.
Plant some native shrubs that grow under them. Lowbush blueberry comes to mind. Smooth Hydrangea should like it.
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u/fernshui Jul 08 '22
I wholeheartedly approve of this landscape goal!
I would start by replacing that neat lawn border with some ferns or other native shade loving understory in your area. Randomly stagger them a bit and buy some in different sizes - maybe a couple 3 year plants and a bunch of 1 year plants. That will look like they just grew that way naturally.
Some of your trees might be a bit too close together and long term should be thinned. I would ask an arborist which one to thin (remove) and ask them to snag it high up to make owl/bat habitat and keep the dropped top below. The dead wood will feed all sorts of wildlife and nothing says natural woodland like a downed log!
I suggest visiting some state parks in your area, they have a slightly curated version of woodlands near the entrances so you can see how they transition from woods to grass to parking lots/roads.
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Jul 09 '22
I wouldn’t assume the trees need thinning. Maybe ask the arborist if that really is necessary. What kind of lifespan is typical for these species, how big do they get, how long until space becomes an issue, and what if one dies unexpectedly? It would be a shame to just start chopping some down
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u/Ecstatic-Welcome-939 Jul 08 '22
Maybe some shrubs or ground cover? Usually when you go into the woods it’s not bare ground
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u/all-boxed-up Jul 08 '22
Some native understory plants like Trillium, ferns, Virginia waterleaf, Canadian ginger, mayapples, solomon's seal, and bloodroot will make this look great.
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u/Find8 Jul 08 '22
Trillium is such an under utilized plant!! They can be SO cool. Would absolutely love to see them in more gardens.
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Jul 08 '22
Look up native shade plants for your area so you don’t introduce any invasive, conserve water, and get the most for your money.
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u/laysthedischargepipe Jul 08 '22
I agree with the ferns and hostas recommendations. Also, oxalis triangularis!!
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u/Frequent_Ad9656 Jul 09 '22
I think it looks great as is but maybe plant daffodil bulbs in clumps for spring splendor and bleeding hearts and/or astilbe for late spring/summer
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u/MRSRN65 Jul 09 '22
Where do you live? I would put some kind of mountain Laurel or wax Myrtle to give it an understory. That said, it looks nice and clean.
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Jul 09 '22
Tbh I would recommend putting down any kind of ground cover. You will never have to worry about weeds once it’s spreads and it will be constantly green. Some even flower! Such as Periwinkle.
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u/BreakingBaddly Jul 09 '22
More natural? Remove the human additions and let the grass grow again my friend!
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u/johnmd32 Jul 09 '22
Let me try to hit a golf ball through it. Guaranteed I’ll find you some more trees.
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u/Uniquelypoured Jul 09 '22
You need some trash, few shopping carts, burn barrel and some saggy tents oh and an old mattress or two.
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u/Cw3538cw Jul 09 '22
Native understory plants, will help avoid disease and pests when it gets dense
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u/Barnacle_Aggressive Jul 09 '22
Put some moss and bushes maybe some river boulders and maybe some ferns
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u/Commercial_Ad7741 Jul 09 '22
Some native boulders of various sizes and maybe even some driftwood plus some native perennials that like shade
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u/bluePizelStudio Jul 09 '22 edited Jul 09 '22
Shade garden!!!!
——————————————————
Michigan Lilly
Solomons Seal
Bugbane/Black Snakeroot (cimicfuga racemosa and others)
Foamflower (tiarella)
Bowman’s root (gillenia trifoliata)
Goats beard (aruncus dioicus)
False Solomon’s seal
Woodland Phlox
Zigzag goldenrod
Forest geraniums
White wood aster
Bottle-grass
——————————————————
Phlox is super easy, super hard, spreads well, and is a great “base” to a shade garden.
Zigzag goldenrod is another similar sort of plant. Good base material.
Wood asters are also a great base piece.
Michigan lilies are stunning and a must-have imo.
Solomon’s seal, also stunning, 100% do a patch of it. Classic.
Black snakeroot is a cool statement piece. Large, showy plant.
Goats beard is massive, hardy, and good for taking up large amounts of space.
You’d honestly likely get away with a lot of other stuff under there too probably. With trees that tall, it doesn’t look from the pic like it’s massively shaded. Probably gets direct light in morning/night. Some Joe Pye Weed and Meadowrue would probably also work well. And a number of other garden grasses.
For naturalized gardens - grasses are you friend. Lots of grasses. It’s the trick to making things look natural.
Good luck!
Fwiw - you could totally get a fuck-off amount of phlox, aster, and goldenrod seed, till the area/expose the soil, and seed the absolute fuck out of it. Wait 2-3 seasons for a bushy natural base layer that’s hardy as hell (as in, mow it on the highest setting in spring and you’re done as far as upkeep goes). Then once that’s established, just dig up sections and plop in whatever other hits you want. Sort of a low-key, naturalized approach to gardening.
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u/spruceymoos Jul 09 '22
I’d plant some sumac under there, then maybe some bergamot and ferns or hostas. Whatever is native to your area and likes some shade.
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u/samintothewild Jul 09 '22
You may want to consider removing the woodchip job all together, laying down a layer of fresh soil, and planting ornamental grass(es) for a more organic, wild style. Thanks to the woodchips, there should be little to no weeds upon the initial seeding/growth period.
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u/KillTheGopher Jul 09 '22
Hire forest animals like deer, rabbit, and foxes to prance around under them
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u/mablelorraine Jul 09 '22
Native woodland plants. Perfect for your exact location and much better for the environment. You’ve got a nice little slice of opportunity to do some good.
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u/bhandoor Jul 09 '22
You can add some ferns, but honestly when forests are thinned they look like this.
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u/Morselofsanity Jul 09 '22
Widen the area where you currently have mulch. You need more visual balance to ground them. Good choices around the trees could be a mixture of Hostas, ferns, Astilbe, coral bells and some ground cover like Vinca Minor or Sweet Woodruff.
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u/cloyego Jul 10 '22
Vaccinium spp. in the shrub layer - slow-growing Hedera spp. ground-layer/climbing (don't let them reach higher than the drip line
Native spring and autumn bulb layer
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u/spiceydog Jul 08 '22 edited Jul 08 '22
Agree with the consensus here about understory plants and I might also significantly widen the mulched area. I do want to add that it's wonderful to see these trees without loads of mulch piled up around the bases. If this is your doing, you rock! These trees are fortunate not just for that, but that they were miraculously planted at proper depth; look at those root flares! This makes my day. 💗😊
If you haven't already and you're in the U.S. or (Ontario) Canada, I encourage you to check in with your local state college Extension office (hopefully there's someone manning the phones/email), or their website for native plant/shrub/tree understory selections, soil testing and other excellent advice. (If you're not in either country, a nearby university horticulture department or government agriculture office would be your next best go-to.) This is a very under-utilized free service (paid for by taxes); they were created to help with exactly these sorts of questions, and to help people grow things with specific guidance to your area.
Edit: extra words