By Susan Bell

It’s a cliché that a garden is never done, and there’s always more to learn. 

Our garden began about 20 years ago as a water management project. The natural flow of water ran from the high point on the lot right through our basement on its way to a catch basin near the end of the driveway. To redirect the water flow around the house, contractors moved soil from against the house and created two berms along 1st. St.  Suddenly we had a garden to plant before the weeds took over. To start, we added soil, compost and mulch to improve the clay-heavy soil. Given the southern exposure, we planted sun-loving and drought-tolerant plants, a few shrubs and a white lilac, plus hundreds of tulips and narcissus. Eventually we learned that the black walnut tree put a toxin into the soil that many plants can’t tolerate.

Twenty years later, the evolution of the garden continues. Redbuds can tolerate the juglone toxin, and now we have an aerial hedge that provides a green screen from the street. The back yard is no longer a heat island and a dozen types of birds visit the yard. Mature trees and shrubs shade some of the sun lovers, some plants are too tall for their spot and other plants need to be moved or divided. There are holes that can’t seem to grow anything. And as cute as the rabbits are… 

The warm days will be here soon, and with them the reminder that there are chores to be done.