With the major hardscape construction out of the way we started returning plants to our back yard habitat.
As I have mentioned previously, the poor, rocky soil presents some challenges and therefore careful plant selection is key–it may take a while before we discover what is working and what is not. Some areas of the back yard have better conditions than others, and we have added a lot of compost.
The Delphinium x Belladonna ‘Cliveden Beauty’ on the right is new this year. The picture on left is not a new plant, but rather a volunteer colony of the incredibly resilient Dennstaedtia punctilbula (Hay Scented Fern)
I really like native plants, and that will probably be predominately what we decide to plant. That said, I have no opposition to non-native plants as long as they are noninvasive. This article does a good job of articulating the difference: https://www.conservationgateway.org/News/Pages/knowing-and-sharing-diffe.aspx
One of the challenges in gardening among the igneous outcropping behind our home is the many shallow divots in the rock (created by the northward strike of the rock) that hold soil but not enough depth to support many landscaping plants due to poor moisture retention. Fortunately these areas are happily colonized by Sempervivum tectorum (hens and chicks) which is not native to New England. Just behind (in deeper, amended soil) is Cornus sericea ‘Baleyi,’ a native red twig dogwood.
Friends of ours gave Elsie a copy of the book “Miss Rumphius.” ever since then we have been planting Lupine. This is Lupinus polyphyllus ‘Gallery Pink’ planted in a shallow crevice along with Iberis sempervirens ‘Whiteout’ (Evergreen Candytuft).
And who doesn’t love lavender? Unfortunately i don’t know what cultivar this one is.
And this Clematis ‘H.F. Young’
We have been a bit preoccupied with the back yard this spring but have not totally ignored the front yard. We added some Tiarella cordifolia ‘Spring Symphony’ (Foam Flower), a favorite native pant along with the native Podophyllum peltatum (Mayapple) and a non-native spotted dead-nettle Lamium maculatum ‘White Nancy.’
Lots more has been planted. Will update as things come into bloom.
Grow, Build, Restore 
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