Whether you have a wetland already or whether you want to integrate one into an existing native plant garden, you need to begin the gardening process by assessing the existing garden landscape. Create a diagram of your garden space to ensure that you understand what you have before you begin to change it.
What Plants Already Exist in the Garden?
Most gardeners do not begin with a completely blank slate. This means that the garden has natural areas where roots pop up from the soil, leaves drop from the trees, and it is shady or sunny.
Some plants like salal also exude substances from their roots to make it more difficult for other plants to grow. Map areas of existing plants and decide which ones you want to keep and which ones you plan to give away.
Consider Light and Dark Zones in the Garden Design
Think about the natural zones around your home. There will be places where you have some sun and heat and some where there is shade. There will be places that have naturally poor drainage and some that are very dry. Draw these places on a map, then plan your planting so that it meshes with the environments that already exist in the garden. Plan any water features for an area with partial shade, since too much sunlight can lead to algal blooms in a pond.
Landscape Design for Wet and Dry Zones
Consider how the landscape facilitates the growth of the species that you want to grow. If you want a stream and your garden is dry and flat, create terraces that shape the landscape and funnel the water. If you want a wetland, create a boggy area in the garden by burying a child’s pool or other large container under the ground to reduce drainage.
Use shady areas to capture and keep moisture, even if there is no pond or wetland present. Planting trees, shrubs, and groundcover plants naturally encourages the moisture to stay in an area. Add landscape elements like nurse logs that retain the moisture when the soil itself is dry.
Design With the Annual Cycle of the Garden In Mind
Consider how plants change throughout the year. Are there many deciduous trees or shrubs that will shed leaves in the fall? Situate ponds and streams away from these areas or plan to capture leaves with a net. Are there areas where you want plants to receive early spring sunlight? Place early spring flowering plants underneath deciduous trees. There, they will receive more light in the early spring before the trees grow their leaves.
The preparation of a landscaping plan is even more important than the digging and the planting of your wetland garden. A well-designed garden will involve less maintenance and will result in healthy plants and a vigorous, growing ecosystem.
Tricia Edgar - Tricia Edgar is a gardener, environmental educator, and science writer from the Pacific Northwest.
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