DIY Network

Location and Design From "Weekend Gardening" episode WKG-109

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Figure A Figure B This garden was designed for a Northwestern climate. Consult the alternate plant list for this episode to locate appropriate choices for all regions of the country. Figure C

Deciding upon a design is the first step toward bringing this forest floor to life (figure A). Host Maureen Gilmer plans to use lots of white flowers around the roots of the tree to help lighten the area.

A stone bench and leafy plants will mark the border along the right side of the garden, while a short walkway of stone pavers will be framed with sedges (figure B).

This project is suitable for most intermediate gardeners and requires an understanding of soil pH levels and the plants that make up a forest understory. ("Understory" refers to the area of the forest beneath a tree's canopy.)

Skill level: 3 (on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the most difficult)
Time needed: 11 hours

Supplies:

Pavers / flagstones
Mulch
Potting soil
Scotch, Irish moss
Stone bench (optional)
Large decorative pits
Plant material (see list)

Tools:

Standard gardening tools
Shovel

FYI:

• Mature trees may have developed roots on the surface of the soil (figure C). If so, take care not to damage any exposed roots by trying to dig holes. If you do, you'll cause green offshoots to emerge that will suck nutrients from the rest of the plant.

• The term "drip line" refers to the outside edge of a tree's canopy where rainwater will drip.

• Fallen and decomposing leaves -- or "leaf litter" -- from pines and oaks are more acidic than from other trees. So acidic, in fact, that even some weeds won't grow beneath them.

  Expert tip (Glen Williams, garden manager): Soil is considered acidic when its pH level is seven or lower. The acidity can affect how a plant collects nutrients.