So naked!

I can't believe how different my front garden looks now that the Bradford Pear tree's been removed!

Before:




After:




It looks so bare and naked! Mostly that's because of the tree removal, and a little bit because I moved all the plants that were planted around it so it looks even more sparse.

I really can't wait for the summer, when the Crepe Myrtle grows and spreads. That will help it look a bit better at least.

What do I do with all those wood chips? It's hard to see in the photos, but they are completely blanketing the ground from when they ground out the stump. I don't know how deep they go.

Should I just dig them into the earth? Remove them? What?

 

Wow what a difference.

 

It's so sad.

It doesn't help that it's cold now, so all the plants that were full and thick and luscious shades of green, and all the flowers that were blooming are all gone.

That makes it look even more bleak. Honestly, I wanted to cry when I came home and saw how stark and empty the garden looked.

 

I would spread the wood chips evenly & leave them right where they are, free mulch. If you have any trouble with yellow (chlorotic)/slow growing plants next year, something that adds nitrogen can fix that easily. If you mow and are confident the grass doesn't have seeds on it, cut grass is the perfect thing to help fresh wood chips 'calm down.' Anything moist/green will help those chips turn into 'good dirt,' either mixed (too much work for me) or laid/spread on top. No doubt it's a little more tricky to do stuff like that in the front without it looking too funky at times, but worth it once you get some great looking plants going again. I doubt you'll have trouble with chlorosis though, this was fresh, live wood, so not as lop-sidedly brown as chipped dead wood. And the spot was already a bed, so should have some decomposing micro-organism activity going already. As it decomposes, in a year or two, just add more mulch to keep it going. You'll likely see some mushrooms in that area in the coming years as the chips (and any remaining roots underground) decompose, perfectly fine and normal. There's always synthetic fertilizers if you get really desperate, but I don't usually use any of that for ornamental plants in the ground.

Have fun with your basically blank slate! Looks like fun to me!

Whenever a tree is ground out, there's a chance some of the roots underground may still be able to try to grow. I'd monitor this area often for root suckers through next summer.

 

I, too, say leave them be. In a year they will be nice brown decomposing chips. Don't worry about it being naked, you will soon get used to the look. I did and don't miss the BCpear at all. I have one more to get rid of. Watch for suckers popping up in the spring, though. I had one cut down, that nothing happened, but the other one keeps sending up shoots.

 

Ronni... you see "naked"... I see "new flower bed and plants".
To help ease the pain of looking at nothing there, with Christmas around the corner you could put up some sort of decoration to fill the space.
I too would leave the wood chips.
Now... get busy researching what kind of plants you want to put there in the spring.

 

Ronni.....woodchips forever!...leave them there I agree with others, they make the best soil!
What a great time now to be choosing,deciding,changing your mind and eventually making a garden!

 

Hiya Ronni.
Well, I'm going to vote against the grain here and suggest that you remove the chips from that soil if you are planning on planting anything there anytime soon. The reason for this is that fresh wood chips will take-up nitrogen FROM the soil to aid the microbes that try and compost the chips. It does not mean that absolutely nothing will grow there, but it makes things a bit difficult for plants as generally there is so little nitrogen in the soil.

I do not use fresh woodchips anywhere except my garden paths-- exactly so that weeds will not grow up in them.
Just my 2 cents worth.

Good luck with your bed there. I hope to see it lushly planted with more lovely plants next season.

 

I have heard this before Sjoerd. I forgot about it all these years and have been planting all my plants, hundreds of them, right in the mulch. They have done wonderfully. Some up to 7 years old now are growing like crazy.

I actually only lost one hellebore that, once planted in hot weather, I never watered it. It was expensive and I learned about watering while planting and soon after planting things.

So, I politely, disagree with you.

 

Hee hee hee....oké Ware. That's cool of course... annnnd, it is exactly why this is such a good site--there are all sorts of experiences and advice that may conflict with eachother...and the more the better, I believe, for it gives the one seeking help more to choose from.

I know of other fellow gardners that have also had no probs with planting in mulch; however, the folks that I know planted in different types of mulch than freshly chipped wood chips.

Anyhow, Ronni is a smart woman, and she can read on here that more folks feel the way as you do. Y'know--if I were in her shoes, I would probably go with the majority too.

 

Don't be sad Ronnie, be EXCITED! So much possibility there, take it as a time to plan the best garden ever
Depending on how thick the mulch is, I might be tempted to move it. I'm not a fan of mulch THAT fresh, but as above, some people don't mind.

 

Thank you all so much for your advice and encouragement. It really broke my heart a little to see the wasteland that the garden had become. Being such a new, novice gardener, that little plot was sort of like my first baby I guess, so it hurt to see it so denuded and violated.

I really can't wait till spring so I can start planting again! I guess that's pretty common amongst gardeners, huh?

I'll get out there this weekend and clean things up a bit. I've been really pushed for time since Monday, and with daylight savings, night time has arrived before I've gotten home, so I haven't had an opportunity to inspect the area thoroughly. The wood chips do look pretty deep. There was also a stump on the other side of the house, right up against the garage, that we also had them grind out. It was a small tree we had taken down right after we moved in. I don't know WHAT the landscaper who did the original work was thinking!!! The tree was planted way too close to the house, and the roots were compromising the foundation and the driveway, and the upper branches had warped the gutter. Anyway, they ground out that stump which was putting out all kinds of shoots. So I have LOTS of wood chips to deal with, clean up (those are all over the driveway too) and spread around.

Sjoerd, I appreciate the advice even though it goes against what most everyone is saying. I like knowing all the possible scenarios that any decision I make can result in, which is why I enjoyed reading what you wrote so much. Purpleinopp also mentioned the nitrogen issue, which left me with a question, so I was very glad that you expanded on that.

I'll get out there this weekend when I have time, and really take a good look as I clean up the residue. Just from the way the ground is mounded around that area, it looks like there are an AWFUL lot of woodchips!

 

Ronni, don't worry too much about there being too many. eventually they will break down into nice friable soil and you will wish you had more, but if you have a place to put a mound of them out of the way where they can be used as you need them, don't hesitate to move a pile of them to that spot and let it alone (but put it in the shade or put a tarp over it so weed seeds cant get established in it and be more of a nuisance than a help.) Sjoerd is correct in stating that they will use the nitrogen out of the soil to break down, but I don't think you need to worry too much over it. I have never seen it really hurt the plants too much. Where it is a real problem is in vegetable plants because they need so much nitrogen to grow or in other heavy feeders of nitrogen. You have a good 5 months before you are going to be planting in this spot and having a plant that will be growing. "don't worry, be happy" whatever you decide to do, I think you will find your plants will do okay.

 

.....I second what Carolyn said--Don't worry. Ach meid, it's easy for me to say that isn't it. hahaha...I reckon that is because I have been there (Carolyn too, undoubtedly).
Come good weather again, you will be able to do more and see results quicker.
It isn't really time for a lot of action on your part, but what I'm doing now and you could be too is-- fine-tuning your plans for that plot and others in your garden. You can even begin figuring out a schedule for planting things that will go in that plot, or identifying places to buy the plantlets.

As far as the soil condition there--chips or no chips, the plot will eventually be optimally usable at some point and this tiny little bit of stress will be a thing of the past. ;-)

I believe that everyone here wants the best for you. Hang in there, miss.