Requesting advice on landscaping woodland edge

[Trudie]

The back of our property abuts a woodland protection easement.  We have done little to maintain the easement (and are prohibited from altering it too much), but I want to deal with the edge of it.  My goals are to minimize mowing by naturalizing more plants along the edge, to keep turfgrass from encroaching into the woodland, and to tidy up the edge a bit.  We do enjoy our backyard quite a bit, so I want it to be attractive and worth looking at.

I'm a pretty experienced gardener and understand what plants will work and am researching natives for my area, but I'm seeking advice on how to clean up the edge in a low-cost, natural way.  My first thought was to go in with a weed whacker to cut back all the grass, take out any troublesome or invasive species at the edge use a sod cutter to eliminate turf grass where I don't want it, then mulch a sizable strip with free city mulch and leaves and fill it in with layers of native plants.  (I am thinking of doing this in the fall.)

I want to create something that I don't have to maintain too much.  Ideas?

[lizzzi]

My house is by the woods, too, as is the back view from my apartment. It sounds to me like you are over-thinking this. I don't think you need to do all that. I would kill the poison ivy, if you have any back there...maybe pull down some of the grapevines, if they are over-growing everything...but past that, I'd just leave it alone. Both my places (NY and the Heartland) are at around 41 degrees north latitude. I'm thinking your situation might be different if you're in a completely different climate. Any chance of you posting a picture?

I'm sitting here looking out my back door at a mowed lawn coming up against the woods...there are a few weedy, grassy places at the edge, some wild roses in bloom, and a barberry that probably doesn't belong there, but adds a nice red accent...looks fine to me...but maybe you are thinking of something more manicured?

[Trudie]

I live in the Heartland as well -- Zone 4.  Here are a couple of pictures:

[Trudie]

Here's another pic

[Frugal Lizard]

I find things look neat and tidy if your eye has some sort of way to understand the apparent disorder.  It is probably going back to lizard brain - worried deep in the subconscious about hiding snakes or tigers or something that might eat you. 

First off remove the invasive exotics. 
Second step - clearly define the edge of the lawn.  You can go high end with an edging - stone, pavers, or metal or ultra low end, the occasional cut line of the edging shovel. 
Designing the edge - the shape that is most pleasing to the eye is a gentle curve to a straight line and then curve again.  I lay out the line with a warm hose because hoses work better than a string.
I would mulch the wild side so that you can just leave the leaves and debris for speedier clean up and healthier soil and duff layer in the woods in the fall.
If you decide to increase the diversity of the wild area, then I would recommend buying source identified native plants from a reputable grower.  You should buy several of the same plants and plant them in drifts - if they are expensive then i only buy three but mostly I buy plug sized plants and buy five to ten of each species.  They seem to grow better in little groups.  I try to replicate mother nature and will plant things often found together in the wild.   I will see if I have some photos of the type of edges I make to better illustrate my words.

[lizzzi]

I guess it is just a matter of your personal taste, and how much work you want to do and how much money you want to spend. The pictures look fine to me, and similar to what I'm seeing out back as I have a cup of coffee and stare out into the woods this morning. But Frugal Lizard's suggestions do sound awesome-- an enhancement of beauty. Let us know what you end up doing, Trudie.

[Trudie]

Where do you buy your plugs?  I don't want to invest in edging but am thinking of replanting ferns, ligularia, and other native shrubs on the border to enhance the understory.  The challenge is finding natives that will create a living fence that the deer won't destroy.

[Frugal Lizard]

We have a number of nurseries near that specialize in natives. Plugs tend to only be available in the spring and in bulk but once a year one of the nurseries does a tray of dry shade loving plants.  Six plants of six varieties.  It is a good deal.  I am a member of the North American Native Plant Society.  The Toronto chapter has a suppliers list so that is how I started.  Then it just cascaded from there.
The problem with natives is that deer tend to like them as well. You may need some exclusion zones until your wee plants get established.

[Spork]

The woodland edge you describe is pretty much our front/back and side yards.  Our house is smack dab in the middle of the woods.  We just leave the edge alone.  I love the fact that I can stand on my front porch and not see the road.