I haven’t mentioned our rain garden in a while. It’s still growing, and working well at keeping water out of the rest of our yard. This year I didn’t do much new outside, and that includes in the rain garden.

That said, this year I did plant an apple tree in the dry, sunny back corner. Everything I’ve read talks about how sensitive apple trees are, and how they need special soil and all this tender loving care… None of which my tree will get. However, it’s grown from a seed to more than 24″ tall under my not-so-tender loving care, so hopefully more of the same won’t kill it.

Here’s what the garden overall looks like now. It’s quite excellently boggy, and clearly a great spot for the sedges, reeds, and other grasses. I have about three varieties fighting it out right now in the main pooling area. My goal is to provide a tiny slice of a wetland in our back yard. Maybe I can find some tall reeds for some of those empty spots…

From the back side by the fence, looking through the shoots of my not-yet-dead huckleberry plant:

Hard to see, but my most recent addition is a young hemlock tree, which prefers wet feet and shade. I’ve planted it in the wetter area, but behind the thickest grasses and underneath some leafy plants whose species I’m forgetting at the moment, which should provide decent shade even in summer.

As with all my additions, it was free (in a former life it served as mom and dad’s living micro-Christmas tree), but I’m still hoping it survives. I like evergreen trees, and hope to get at least a couple good ones going in our yard over time, plus a maple or two. Overall, my vision for our yard is to move it as much toward native Washington environment as we can. This is our small little start.