Last year in Takoma Natives, I described my backyard as a blank canvas and sketched the possibilities that lay there. The “managed wilderness” I aspired to may still be far off, but I return today to share what’s changed.

When the blanket of straw was peeled away last fall, a raw expanse of bare and compacted soil was revealed. I began to transplant simple native groundcovers like common blue violet (Viola sororia) and golden ragwort (Packera aurea). Section by section, I broke open the soil, removed stones, glass, and detritus and filled as much space as possible with these hardy native plants.

I removed about 200 square feet of asphalt driveway to make more room for plants and the fauna I hope they will support. I planted trees: a box elder (Acer negundo), an American elm (Ulmus americana) and an American chestnut (× Castanea hybrid) given to me by three local organizations (see below). I covered bare spaces with wood chips and leaves and let the land rest for the winter.

When spring arrived, I planted more trees: a white oak (Quercus alba), a witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana), and an American hazelnut (Corylus americana). With additional winter-sown seedlings from a FOSC event, donations from neighbors and “volunteers” from my yard, I continued to fill the open spaces.

Invasive plants will take advantage of open spaces, too. I removed encroaching liriope and English ivy, dug deep to get at the rhizomes of Japanese knotweed, and plucked countless bush honeysuckle seedlings before they could gain a hold. My wife, Ellen, spent many persistent hours at war with Star of Bethlehem.

The past year has been a year of change in my yard. A greater change is taking root throughout our neighborhood: an understanding of how to make our land sustainable and livable for other species.

I see more neighbors adding native plants to their yards. A community is growing, where plants, advice, tools and labor are shared. As these native habitats increase, the intricate food webs they support will flourish, promising a beautiful and healthy future for our little corner of the world.

(Shout out to those who gave me plants: Lizz Kleemeier of FONTT, Byrne Kelly of PRONE Grown, and Alysha of TreeDC, and many others!)

—Slater Knowles

Photos: Bottom two photos by Meg Voorhes, all others by Slater Knowles