On the Border of the Woods

When we moved into our city, the back of our lot was so overgrown with invasive vines that it was impossible to see beyond a few feet. I do not think that anyone had looked into the neighboring woods, and they just had assumed that it was just another plot of abandoned, second-growth woods that would soon be gobbled up for development.

In the Beginning

The hill we are located on is essentially a glacial gravel dump. The soil is thin, but generations of residents had stubbornly insisted that a lawn could grow there. But between the gravel under the impoverished topsoil, the invasive vines, and the shade of the nearby woods, a lawn was a forlorn hope. One of my first tasks was the disposal of the huge bag of “weed and feed” we’d inherited from the previous owners.

I began the job of clearing the invasive vines. It was then that, just beyond my property line, I found the sign stating that the property behind me was an Audubon wildlife sanctuary. Good, the woods had some protection, and wouldn’t be cleared for a development of tiny tacky mini-mansions. At that point, I began to think of long-term prospects for the back of the lot. And it was not going to be lawn.

A Pond

In the meantime, the four Carreras children had their own plans. At some point, they had extracted a promise that on the new property, they could have a small pond. As I cleared vines, and the rear of the lot came into view, they sprang into action. I came home one day to find four kids in a chest-deep excavation. The two girls were busily pushing a small glacial boulder up a plank, and out of the hole they had dug for the pond. The oldest boy was cheering them on, and the youngest was emptying buckets of spoils onto a growing mountain of debris. On seeing me, they all struck a jaunty pose and exclaimed that they were digging the pond, hurrah! Well, I had promised.

First was the vine clearance, then the pond. Our next was a series of twisted trails, which were mulch-covered and wound their way around the lot. Why? Because in the nineteenth century, in our city, almost everyone buried and burnt their trash, and the yard turned out to be full of intact and broken bottles dating from the 1900s till trash collection started. Our children’s preferred mode of transportation during the warmer months was barefoot. The trails ensured that they stayed on pathways that were safe. And the paths made for interesting walking.

The first spring, I found a local conservation group that had a spring plant sale that featured native plants. Every year, we have added native plants to the growing backyard forest fringe. Lawn was a losing battle, but a woodland border that supported local bird and animal populations? Ideal.

The area is tiny, but with the small pond, the developing native plants, and the trails, it soon proved to be a favored place for the family. We have turned a failed lawn and an area full of invasive plants into a woodland fringe that is a pleasure to be in. It’s a tiny but pleasant place full of beauty.

I’m sitting in my office and overlooking the area of the back of my lot that I’ve just described. The small mountain of pond spoil is now completely covered by native plants. Where a tiny waterfall tumbles into the pond, the local birds come to drink and occasionally splash. Sitting in the window watching a bird feeder is one of my cats, Sabrina. We have a perfect view of the New England woods right beside our house in miniature. For us, this is the place.