One day, my dog Hudson dug a huge hole at the bottom of the side yard while on the hunt for a mole. I had always wanted to create a bog garden, so I took advantage of the freshly dug hole and expanded it slightly. I decided to carve a creek into the hillside so that it would naturally fill the bog. I can't say the bog was a success, but the creek was a stroke of genius.
I went with the existing contour of the side yard as my guide for the shape of the creek. The creek isn't very wide or deep, just enough to hold water and direct it. It's about 18 inches across in most places. It was fun getting the shape and depth just right. In a rain storm, I'd grab and umbrella and a trowel and go dig out the edges of the creek to improve the water flow.
The creek is in almost full shade, so I had to be creative about my plantings. The photo doesn't do it justice, but it is has lots of textures and contrasting foliage colors. The bright chartreuse spots are Creeping Jenny, a ground cover that can take foot traffic. It keeps that color all season long. A fantastic little plant. The way it has sprawled down the creek gives the space motion.
I'm also using Purple Palace Coral Bells, which have a burgundy leaf. This color against the Creeping Jenny is fabulous. I'm just now getting a colony of ferns started. For some reason, I've struggled to get them started. Literally five feet away, there are so many ferns that you can't see the ground below them and they're coming up in the grass. That's probably due to micro-climates, which is a topic for another day.
What started as a problem spot turned into such a great focal point in the side yard. You can see it from many angles, including the street. It actually redirects a good portion of the yard runoff water into the woods and keeps it away from the foundation of the house. Erosion is still a problem, but I can't imagine what it would be like without this little creek.
looks great, as I knew it would! ToddM
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