Planting our Hügelkultur Privacy Berm
It’s seemed like a long time coming, but we’ve finally planted trees along our northern border. It was no small task either. As you may remember, last summer we installed a hugelkultur style berm along the perimeter of our backyard. I spent much of wintertime researching trees and perennials to figure out exactly how to plant this section of the berm. After considering and imagining countless trees and tall shrubs of all varieties, I elected to plant a dozen Green Giant Arborvitae trees.
About Green Giant Arborvitae
One of my goals is to make this barren section as private as possible, so I searched for dense and tall growing evergreen trees that will eventually create a year-round solid wall of greenery. Another goal I have is to create high biodiversity on this land to regenerate it. This tree in the cedar family produces small berries (technically termed cones that resemble juniper berries) that attract and feed native bird populations. I wanted fast growing trees to create privacy within 3-5 years while also establishing a drought tolerant hedge. This variety grows about 12 inches per year, and becomes drought hardy once it’s established. The deep emerald green colors of summer will fade into a variegated yellow-green hue in the fall and winter, bringing color to the landscape. An added benefit is that they require minimal to zero pruning if left in their natural shape. They can, however, be planted closer together and shaped into a completely solid boxed hedge if desired. The later design is commonly seen in European landscapes. In winter, the Green Giant Arborvitae withstands heaps of snow on their branches, standing elegantly tall like Christmas trees. This tree has a single trunk, like most classic conifers, so I don’t need to wrap the branches in winter to protect the branches from breaking after heavy snowfall. Currently standing at 6-7 feet tall and about 3 feet feet wide, they’ll grow to be 10-12 feet in diameter and about 25-30 feet tall. We planted them 9 feet apart, so we can expect the bottom branches to kiss each other within a few years. They’ll offer a solid backdrop to the bright colors and shape-shifting textures in the regenerative orchard, kitchen garden and wildflower meadow at their feet.
The Planting Process
Digging holes in the soft bedding of the berm made the job easier and I was delighted to discover loads of earth worms, centipedes, spiders, mycelium networks and other soil life. This is exactly what I was trying to create when I built the berm with logs and sticks at the base. This natural process has happened sooner than I expected! After placing the 150-200 lb root ball into the hole I cut away the burlap wrap and twine, then padded to root ball with mycorrhizae - the natural element that helps fungi networks establish in the soil so woody tree roots can develop strong root systems. After this application I placed the hose directly against the root ball and backfilled the hole with soil. Then I turned on the hose and let it run until water bubbled up through the moat around the trunk. With the hose removed and the soil gently compressed by foot, I re-covered the mound with mulch then moved onto maneuvering the next tree into place.
This hedge of trees is already transforming the feeling in our backyard and I can’t wait to watch them grow together in the coming years. As I’ve walked the rows of the kitchen garden planting my vegetables this week, I feel more secure to have these dozen at my back. In the sunset hours, I sit with a glass of wine on the patio and watch new birds flock to the branches. They chatter and chirp to greet the trees with an enthusiasm akin to mine. After so many long days toiling, moments like this make rewilding this land worth it. Adding these trees to our land, then watching life return so immediately to this once barren field feels a lot like bringing home a new member of the family or nurturing a young relationship. We’re all new here. We’re all making this space our home. We’re figuring it out together. And also, in a beautiful way I can't fully put into words, it feels like we all need each other to fully thrive.
Stay tuned for more as I plant the East and West borders of the berm. My plan is to plant a greater variety of native flowering and edible shrubs such as service berry, elderberry, lilac and more.
How would you chose to plant a berm like this if you had one?