Build a woodland garden in Southern California

July 9, 2:19 PMBackyard Living ExaminerJane Gates

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Build a woodland garden (Photo by Jane Gates)

There are a lot of elements that go into designing any garden. To create a woodland garden in Southern California, you may have to be a bit more imaginative than people who live in cooler, wetter climates.  Here are some suggestions to help build a woodland garden in our area.

Trees help set up a good basis for creating a woodland garden. If you live in an area that already offers a lot of trees, you are well on your way toward creating a woodland garden. Use what you already have. There are natural wooded areas throughout Southern California and there are native plants that enjoy those wooded environments. Much of the chaparral area in Southern California is dry and not conducive for raising woodland gardens. If you live where there is a naturally high water table, you can work easily with the environment. If you live where water is not easily available, you will have to work harder and create the illusion of a woodland garden.  For example, you can select trees that offer shade like oaks and sycamores, but will grow with our lower rainfall.

Green is the main color to work for in a woodland garden. There are a few drought tolerant ferns and a number of Australian plants that mimic the habit of growth seen in true woodland plants. Some Grevilleas and Hakeas will be both ornamental and drought resistant. Although many of these plants have a woodsy leaf quality, they will bloom with ornamental flowers and they evolved in open, chaparral areas not too much different from our own. Junipers are another family of plants that take low water while offering a more forested feel.

Use materials that will punch up the woodland theme. Use rustic stone and rugged, unfinished lumber for construction and hardscapes. Natural woodland trees and plants grow where there is plenty of rich, acid soil and lots of rain or a high water table. You will want to create that feeling of shade and moisture. But be realistic. Unless your property is located on an unusually moist piece of land, you will be battling uphill all the way and it may not be the best selection for you or for the ecology. Avoid the typical real woodland plants like azaleas, rhododendrons, and other plants that love shade and high acid soils. 

Construct walls and stairways with simple, hewn rock. Stacked stone walls made with or without cement will create an ideal accent for a woodland garden. Use stones to line trails or set up fallen tree limbs or tree trunks to build natural looking benches or fences.  A wild, woodsy feel will be better achieved with informal, close planting done at random. Bark chips are ideal for filling spaces. You can use scattered rocks and stones throughout the landscape. Naturalizing bulbs into random groups will also add the sparkle of color while enhancing the wooded feel. Bulbs can also fill an open area to create the feel of a woodland vale.  There are a number of drought tolerant bulbs that are so showy no one would guess they thrive on low water.

Use benches to add comfort. Design in a waterfall or stream with recycling water. Water is a major asset to the feel of a woodland garden. It adds the tinkling, restful sound of the wild while supplying the glitter of liquid to reflect sunshine. Wildlife will enjoy a bath or drink from your water feature, too.  Build your water feature with a light flow of water to create the effect you want while minimizing water use and evaporation. 

Careful designing can recreate the feel of a woodland garden even in our hot, dry climate. With illusion and drought tolerant plants that resemble the real woodland ones, you can build your own effects. Throw in some stone, wood and rustic styled furniture and you can have an eco-friendly version of a wooded landscape in your yard.