By AMY MUNCY
Advanced Master Gardener

WARSAW — Now I must decide where to place the trees that need to be moved out of my so called holding gardens. I have always started my trees from the Arbor Day Foundation in a small raised bed with a fence around it. The fence helps keep the rabbits and small animals out of the garden. The deer, not so much.

The shape of the garden is going to help with placement of the trees. I plan to make it kidney shaped. Some of the trees will be placed a little closer together to make a cluster. Clusters of three or odd numbers create a balance. I may have to move some of the smaller trees later.

The dogwood trees will be placed close together for a few years and will be most effective in the middle of the garden. As you can see, the fall color will be glorious next year. I hope to have flowers in the next couple of years in the spring and lovely berries in the fall.

White flowering dogwood

Dogwood trees are not the hardiest of the spring flowering trees but are worth the beauty and wild life they bring. If I have to, I will move them, but dogwoods seem to grow slowly.

The taller trees like the golden raintrees will be placed near the north end of the garden. I really enjoy the fall colors of the complex leaves. Some turn golden and some turn reddish gold.

When they are planted, I will stagger them around the existing raintree that is planted at the north end of the garden. I will use the shortest tree as the southern most one planted and create a triangle with all three trees that are about 15 feet apart each.

Small golden raintree

To the south end, at the driveway, is a dwarf leaf lilac. That bush will start the garden. It has wonderful colors of leaves in the fall also. You cannot beat the scent of this small lilac bush with its brilliant light pink flowers in the spring. Some varieties bloom twice a season, once in spring and once in fall. I have had both kinds.

My favorite spring tree is the eastern redbud tree. I will be planting one just to the north of the dwarf leaf lilac. The aura of a redbud in full bloom in the spring can be breath taking. I want to make sure this tree is not going to be flooded or its roots flooded in anyway. I have to keep in mind the puddle that forms each spring at the north east edge of the new garden.

When we have the soil removed for the foundation of our home to be built on, some will be used to fill that end of the yard. This should greatly reduce the standing water there.

Eastern redbud

Amy Muncy was born in Wabash County and lived there for close to 40 years. Muncy grew up in the country, has always enjoyed gardening and mowing the lawn. She has been gardening since a small girl. She moved to Kosciusko County in 2000. She is a master gardener intern at this point, but will be a full master gardener before long.