A Gardening Odyssey
Transforming a small suburban backyard into a healthy, productive oasis for humans and wildlife alike
A journey from “The Yard” to “The Gardens”
When we first moved into our house in the western fringes of suburban Philadelphia, the property was a perfect stereotype of modern American single-family living: A house with a garage, a bit of foundation planting, and a lot of lawn. However, there was also a lot of unrealized potential in this narrow little lot, including rolling terrain and some mature trees along one border.
Most importantly, the lot was configured so that the majority of the open space was to the rear of the home, allowing us to focus on turning that into a series of intimate, private spaces to enjoy. Slowly but surely, we began to remake the space and turn it into our new gardens - which we gave the somewhat tongue-in-cheek name Misery Hill.
As time went on, more plants went in, and the lawn areas have been dramatically reduced, we felt like the term “gardens” is a better fit than “yard” to describe the property (no doubt in part due to watching a lot of British gardening programs). From corner to corner, we’ve established a vibrant, diverse landscape of trees, shrubs, perennials, and annuals all tied together by a series of walkways and paths. We’ve also attracted all kinds of wildlife, many of whom have used the gardens as shelter or to raise their young.
While the property is less than 1/4 acre in size, the long narrow shape and topography makes it feel much larger, especially when combined with dense planting that often screens the view. After ten years and countless hours of work, the gardens are well established, yet will never be finished.
A deliberate, mindful approach
The transformation has been ambitious and labor-intensive, and along the way we’ve developed our own gardening philosophy that helps to give us direction and makes sure that the results reflect our values:
Have fun doing it: It’s very easy for something to go from interest to hobby to obsession. Our gardens are ambitious, and will continue to take time and effort - however, it’s hard to put a value on the sense of accomplishment that they give us, in addition to the beauty and bounty that they provide.
Leave the land better than you found it: Our gardens give us vegetables, fruits, and herbs, and in return we shelter and habitat for native creatures, in addition to a adding diverse planting that helps rejuvenate the soil and provides food for pollinators, in stark contrast to the monoculture of a lawn.
Make the gardens accessible and enjoyable: We spend a lot of time outside, whether working the gardens or just enjoying them, and we’ve developed them in a way so that they can be enjoyed up close or from afar. Elderly or disabled friends and family can relax and take in the views, while the more nimble can take a more hands-on approach. Either way, it beats being inside staring at a screen.
“Nature is not a luxury, but a necessity. We need the calming influence of green spaces to cleanse our souls and rejuvenate our spirits.”
-Frederick Law Olmsted
In other words - we all need to touch grass from time to time.
Gardening teaches us to be patient, allows us to experiment and be creative, and is perfectly willing to let us make mistakes and keep on going. For every gardening job done the “right” way, there are just as many that were done the “wrong” way but still turned out just fine, at least as far as that gardener was concerned.
Our gardens are extensions of ourselves, reflecting our own personal tastes and abilities, and are constantly evolving and changing with each passing day. Most importantly, they are tangible evidence of the time that we spend with them - real things that appeal to each of our senses.