Woodland gardening in the rainforest

Although I love all the different parts of our west coast garden (including flower borders, veggie plot, fruit trees, koi pond, etc.) - nothing can compare to the natural rainforest.  Sadly, much of the original old-growth forest has been replaced in many suburban areas by high density development,  resulting in postage-stamp size garden plots.  We are very fortunate that  most of our lot retains the indigenous forest, and that my parents had the vision to cherish the lovely old trees, and to disturb the natural woodland as little as possible. 

Looking up into the canopy of leaves and branches - mostly Douglas Fir and Western Red Cedar predominate.  These trees provide a valuable service to birds and wildlife, and offer a safe perch for eagles and herons to sit and view the bay.  Although, my parents planted some smaller deciduous ornamental trees for additional interest and contrast through the years - nothing can take away from the impact of the original forest.

Sometimes nature has other ideas about the upkeep of trees in the forest.  Old age, fierce winter gales, and damage from insects and animals can all take their toll.  On several occasions, trees have actually blown down (fortunately none have landed on the house...yet).  We now have the trees inspected yearly - both for insurance purposes and our own peace of mind.  Very occasionally, we have had to have a tree cut down in order to avoid the inevitable risk of it coming down on neighbouring property and possibly hurting someone.  In a completely wild forest, this process would take place naturally, as new tree seedlings replace the older trees at the end of their life-cycle.  Our trees re-seed themselves frequently in the woodland garden, and we are careful to preserve these "gifts" in order to maintain the integrity of the forest.

A rotting, decaying, tree can be a thing of beauty.   In fact, these trees are still providing a valuable service by offering the ideal environment and vital nourishment for new growth in the forest.

A hollow log is all that remains of this tree - which will soon form its own natural planter.                 

This sapling is growing out of the shell of a tree similar to the one above, known as a "nurse log".  The forest is a magical place to observe the continuity of life - and to ponder on a small scale, the wasteful and environmentally damaging practice of clear-cut logging. 

Long, slender tree trunks that stretch up into the sky and beyond can be quite challenging to blend with the rest of the garden, so that nothing looks ridiculous or out of place.  By preserving the woodland garden intact and focusing on native plants - we have attempted to preserve the beauty of the forest and its fragile ecosystem. 

A old wooden cedar birdhouse (a gift from many years ago) has slowly weathered to a silvery grey colour.  It is placed in a clearing in the forest overlooking the koi pond.

An inside view of part of the woodland garden.  A gravel path winds through the forest and around the old-growth trees.  Natural groundcover  is combined with carefully chosen plants which complement the woodland environment.  Hellebores, primulas, spring bulbs, astilbe, and rhododendron (to name a few) share the space with snowberry, erythroniumm, and mahonia.  Towards the back of the lot, the dense natural forest grows unchallenged - providing a glimpse of how this land has existed for thousands of years.