# I'm gonna reforest part of my yard!



## Manonash (Jun 2, 2006)

Interesting timing with jrayn's thread!

It's a pretty big project but I'm stoked! After rewatching "Global Warming: What You Need to Know" Tom Brokaw special, we started thinking of what we could do. We live on about 3 acres that are cleared and decided we could reforest about an acre and plant more trees on the other two that the house sits on. It will help stop an erosion problem we've been having, there will be less to mow, and it will help the environment.

Drought has been a problem here the past few years (especially this one), so we have to plant it a portion at a time in order to keep it watered sufficiently enough to keep the trees alive initially, but definitely doable. I'll start some seedlings this fall for the hardwoods and maple, and maybe get some free pines from the forest service.

I'm so excited!


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## Earth Angel (Dec 13, 2004)

Yeah....trees are goooooooood!!!








Check your local county extension service too....they often have some either free, or at least really, really good deals on sapplings.








to thinking globally and acting locally!!!


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## Cougarmilk (May 27, 2006)

Oh, that's so cool. We have a big old maple tree that is on its way out. I want to replace it as soon as I need to cut the tree down. I won't cut the tree, but dh says it is dying.







: I just think of how much O2 that tree is generating and I am so thankful to it.


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## Manonash (Jun 2, 2006)

EarthAngel: Thanks for the tip! I'll have to check into that.

Cougarmilk: I feel your pain







. I have sick maples too. The land where we built our house had been cleared once before and the people who cleared it had done a lot of bark damage to many of the bigger trees on the lot. They're living now, but not healthy. Many of them probably won't live a lot longer.

We cleared this land this time to build the house on. We had them leave all the oaks, maple, and black gums, and the bigger trees. We really didn't realilze how much we had cleared though until our house went up. We weren't as environmentally minded then. I've always cared, but never been as active as I want to be now.


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## art4babies (Mar 6, 2004)

This is based in Seattle, but it is a good source/site.

http://www.plantamnesty.org/


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## beanma (Jan 6, 2002)

if you join the arborday foundation (www.arborday.org) for $10, they send you 10 free trees.

we live on about 3/4 of an acre and i'm really torn btwn wanting to cut some trees so i can garden or leaving them all. so far we've left most of them and we're completely surrounded by trees. we did have some dead pines taken out recently and one live pine that was leaning over the house at an uncomfortable angle, but as it is right now the only place i can grow a meager tomato or two is on our deck in containers because everywhere else is just too shady.


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## eepster (Sep 20, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *beanma* 
we live on about 3/4 of an acre and i'm really torn btwn wanting to cut some trees so i can garden or leaving them all. so far we've left most of them and we're completely surrounded by trees. we did have some dead pines taken out recently and one live pine that was leaning over the house at an uncomfortable angle, but as it is right now the only place i can grow a meager tomato or two is on our deck in containers because everywhere else is just too shady.

You could try shade loving plants such as hostas.


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## art4babies (Mar 6, 2004)

There are TONS of shade loving plants that you can use... Hostas, ferns, Hydrangeas, violets - and many varieties within those genus. (There are also tons of books on shade gardens.) Besides, they use up a TON less water, and you can feel good about planting indigenous plants if you wish.


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## EmsMom (Dec 13, 2001)

I, too, live on a shady piece of land and won't be removing any healthy trees, ever. Possible I might trim one, though. There are actually quite a few edibles that you can grow in shady areas. You may want to do some research on woodland gardening. Some things you can grown (and eat!) are violets, some wild greens, some fruit trees like apple and pear do well in part shade, elder, hawthorne. Here is a really, really good link with lists of plants:

http://www.pfaf.org/leaflets/woodgardintro.php

Enjoy! It really changed the way I see my "garden"!


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## art4babies (Mar 6, 2004)

I just remembered: "limbing-up" is an option as well.


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## beanma (Jan 6, 2002)

thanks for the links. yes, i know about hostas, but am wanting some veggies and those really need more sun than i have. i do make do with partial sun on the container deck garden, but i fantasize about a really big veggie garden and it's just not feasible in our present location. we talk about trying to buy some land from time to time and if we do that will be a high priority. right now i just don't have enough land w/o trees on it! love my trees, though, and don't have it in me to cut 'em so we do a little container gardening and buy fresh veggies at the farmer's mkt and through our CSA.

we do have a lot of violets and they love it and we have tea camellias which are doing okay though not thriving (i need to add some compost probably) and lots of hickories though i haven't tried eating them much. i don't really think we have enough sun for an apple tree, but i've been tempted to try.

thanks again for the cool link.


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## turtlewomyn (Jun 5, 2005)

May I also suggest that you plant native trees. I am a biologist and land manager and native plants not only require less watering (generally) but they also provide better food and shelter for the native fauna than exotics. I live on one acre that has about 50 slash pines on it and we have been working to revegetate it with natives. You can contact your local Native Plant Society for information and native nurseries are a good source (I work the the County environmental resource department and we give away native seedlings at most local events too).


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## Super Pickle (Apr 29, 2002)

That's awesome!

I just moved from a high-rise in Chicago to a house in suburban Ohio and found that my whole yard was full of bush honeysuckle, which is like _the_ worst invasive species in the area. I cut down almost all of them (hard work!!!) and now my yard looks kinda bare. I wanted to get them out ASAP, though, because I didn't want the birds to eat the berries and spread the seed, 'cause when it gets into the natural areas it just takes over and nothing else can grow there. It's like the Wal-Mart of the Central Ohio ecosystems...once it moves in, everybody else goes out of business.
This spring, though, I'm planning on re-planting with some prairie species and some native shrubs which I'll get from Wild Birds Unlimited (the only place in town that sells natives). I also have a little shady bed with a big maple in the middle, and was thinking of putting a little woodland garden there. There are already Lily of the Valley, Columbine, and violets, and I have planted some jewelweed seeds. I also want to put in some ferns and trilliums too. It is so much fun and I just hope that the birds and butterflies love it!


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## EmsMom (Dec 13, 2001)

Super Pickle -- that sounds so great! I bet the butterflies and hummingbirds and birds will really love your yard. I know the butterflies and hummingbirds really like my jewel weed and other natives that have found their way into my yard. Jewel weed can make a great infused oil for your skin, too. I actually have also seen it in salves and tinctures made for healing poison ivy.


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## Super Pickle (Apr 29, 2002)

Oh, EmsMom, Jewelweed is my absolute favorite plant. I'm so glad to know it attracts the critters. My boys and I had such fun harvesting the seeds from the wild...they call them "pop-me-nots." How do you eat violets?


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## beanma (Jan 6, 2002)

violet flowers are edible. they're nice sprinkled in a spring salad.


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## EmsMom (Dec 13, 2001)

I have always heard that you can eat violet leaves and flowers in salads. I mostly have just nibbled on them in the spring. I believe you can also cook them like spinach and add them to soups and stews. Very high in vit. c. and vit. a. They also have a number of uses in herbal medicine. This information does not apply to African violots, though, as these are considered slightly toxic.


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## sahli29 (Jan 23, 2004)

Our neighbors oak seeded into our new flower beds,and the kids have been caring for the baby trees. We also collect seeds from a huge variety of trees/shrubs when we visit the city gardens. We are also going to dig out saplings from the border woods,and give them a good place in the yard to grow. Anything free,lol.Trees with fruits and nuts would be nice.Looking into rain barrels to attach to spouts,so we can cut down on water bills.

Unfortunately most of the (few) trees we do have(oak,apple,cherry) in are bare/weedy yard are infested with carpenter ants. Sadly the trees have to be cut. Happy planting!We are already planning for the next year.


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## sahli29 (Jan 23, 2004)

We have jewelweed too.Where there is jewelweed you will often find the poison ivy,which I found soon after.The sap can lessen a PI rash. May flowers are cute for wooded areas.

For shaded backyards perhaps fencing in an area of the front for plantings/garden is an option.I came across photos in a book about a *a yard within a yard* for the front.The booked mentioned it had beent had been common at one time.It really looked nice.And if you border with tall flowers then most can't even tell you have a garden.


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## ramlita (Mar 26, 2002)

Someone mentioned mowing...
we got sick of mowing our small lawn, so we turned it all over with shovels and planted creeping thyme.
It looks pretty, smells divine when we walk on it, and needs no care at all.(it only grows to be about 4" tall) We love it.


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## northwoods1995 (Nov 17, 2003)

That's awesome!!!

We've been working on our lot too. We've started clearing out the buckthorn that has completely taken over and crowding out all the native trees and shrubs. I cut down so much buckthorn this year and yet there is still so much left. We have a gigantic (and i mean gigantic) pile of it cut and I'm not quite sure what to do with it. Mulch it, maybe? Idk.

It's been a lot of work but it's very satisfying and I can't wait until it is gone.

Have fun with your project!


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