The Hawthorn Grove
Gallery > Hawthorn Grove
In the centre of our property at the back is a beautiful Hawthorn Grove. This group of trees has provided a lot of inspiration for the woodland gardens I have been building around them. By late May each year the Hawthorn Grove is usually in full bloom with a rich, musky fragrance that carries across the entire yard. This is when it is at it's best.
As the Hawthorn Grove is part of the natural border between our property and a wetland area, we are fortunate to see quite an array of wildlife wondering through. This does lead to a challenge in terms of landscaping the area. Deer graze heavily during spring and fall and invasive plants (wild mustard, raspberry canes and grape vine) can also be a challenge. Nonetheless I keep on trying to tame these unattractive features while maintaining a sense of natural beauty. I have tried several times to underplant the hawthorns with native woodland perennials however more invasive weeds seem to overpower many of my attempts. In those areas I have planted deer resistant shrubs instead. Below is an image of shrubs planted in the fall of 2011 that I hope will overpower the weeds that tend to choke out this area most of the year. While I try for as many native varieties as possible I opted for some evergreen junipers in this area to provide winter interest.
For a complete design plan and plant list see my Hawthorn Grove Garden Plan.
Here are some more pictures from the Hawthorn Grove.
We mulch the front beds and walkway each year to keep the weeds under control.
A quiet spot for leisure next to a path that meanders through the grove. The clematis climbs the bird feeder and does not seem bothered by deer.
A patch of Stella D'oro brightens up a darker spot. We removed the staghorn sumac a year or two later. While we planted these natives they too spread too aggressively. The soil here is rich so we have found we need to be very careful with what we plant.
These hosts survived the deer. I find damage done by the deer in spring is replaced with new foliage that lasts through most of the summer. The foliage is eaten again in fall as the deer pass through once more.
Daylilies are great in a woodland garden. Most varieties will still bloom in dappled shade and they are deer tolerant.
One of the few natives I have had success with is Aquilegia canadensis (native columbine).
We have cleared quite a few pathways through the Hawthorn Grove and woodland gardens.
Deer looking for food in winter.
More winter interest.
A close-up of a Hawthorn bloom.
A close-up of a Hawthorn bloom.