It even hit 88 degrees last weekend, and I welcomed it complete with shorts, sunscreen, big hat and a few much-needed breaks inside to avoid what truly felt like heat stroke. It was January, for goodness sake!
I'd been sketching out a few ideas for changing beds -- vowing to treat my own garden with the same care that I give to design clients. Than means I need to tame some overgrown plants, move some others to better locations and add in some more evergreen color to create a cohesive design.
The bed in front of the garage did well last year, but I'd neglected to prune back the pale pavonia right in front of the window. Last fall I moved the purple-blooming salvia 'Amistad' in front of the pavonia - they were small and leggy in their previous spot. Well, they REALLY liked this bed - so much that they grew even bigger than the pavonias behind them. Gorgeous, but unruly and completely out of scale. Pavonias: chop. Salvia 'Amistad:' move. Dianella: add.
They looked beautiful against the Senorita Rosalita cleome I planted in front of them, but they soon grew OVER the cleomes and the yarrow and tried to accost guest walking down the sidewalk! They will now look beautiful in the bed at the corner of the house now -- I hope!
After a trip to the candy store -- well, really, Vivero Growers -- I found some beautiful new plants to complete my design. I added in a third variegated dianella and put in several Loropetalum 'cabernet' to provide more evergreen color in the bed. I left one 'Amistad' in between the pavonias and I promise I will keep it pruned down just a bit.
And here you see my favorite shovel -- I bought it at Red Barn and it has a nice foothold for pushing down on and the handle makes it easier to get some oomph into your motion!
I haven't re-mulched after adding in some Geo Growers thunder dirt to the bed -- I'm still debating whether or not I want to plant some seeds in here in a few carefully selected spots.
Because I'm a plant collector, I don't always follow my own design rules (or even loose guidelines) if I've found some wonderful new plant that HAS to get squeezed in somewhere. I also suffer from the guilt of getting rid of plants that aren't working. Thank goodness I know so many other gardeners and garden bloggers who might have the perfect spot for things. BTW - Austin garden bloggers, I still have that nice 5 gallon-sized rock rose that came out of this been and needs a home - it's about 2-1/2 - feet tall, but the deer keep eating it outside of the fence and I don't have a place for it inside of the fence...first comment, first come and get it!
What are you sketching for your spring garden?
Well, I'll have to pass on the Rock Rose, but I love what you are doing with the bed! Of course, you would know that I would love it since you are adding a weeping Maple, woohoo! I'm not familiar with the Cabernet variety of Loropetalum - how tall does it get? I love all the loropetalums - seems like they keep coming out with new varieties so you can find the size you need for the spot you want. And I also have Dianella near my maple - it's a fantastic combo. Would black and blue salvia work instead of the other one? Mine stay small in the shade, but of course, everything stays small in the shade of my yard.
ReplyDeleteRobin - The Cabernet is the new name for the Ever Red. It will by 5-6' tall and wide, so I will have to prune it in that bed, but I love the deep purple color of the leaves and the red of the blooms. I'm just hoping my dianella behaves and comes back better if it freezes. I can't wait for everything to fill in - especially the Japanese maple leaves.
ReplyDeleteYou garden looks beautiful in BOTH the before and after photos, Diana. I often think how wonderful it would be if plants fit perfectly into the spot you allotted to them on the first go-round! In my case, it seems that a) I don't read the tags carefully enough, b) the specs on the label are way off-base, or c) circumstances change. The latter factor has been a major consideration for me this year. Since I eliminated my remaining lawn, I need to pull a LOT of my smaller plants forward and find bigger specimens to fill the back and mid-sections of my "new" lawn-less space. I'm spending a good deal of time moving stuff around but then change is part of the joy of gardening (or so I keep telling myself)!
ReplyDeleteEverything look so pretty!!!! Can't wait to see it all filled out as well. Beautiful design!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kris -- I didn't used to be much of a mover, but I've learned to be tough on plants that aren't thriving where they were planted. This is the second year in a row I've moved the Amistad salvia!
ReplyDeleteKacky - thanks! It's all thanks to you and your plants!
I'm so proud to see you moving plants with abandon! A gardener after my own heart. :)
ReplyDeletePam - Thanks! I moved, shared and even tossed a few away that were 1/2 dead and only hanging on because of our lack of a real winter thus far. It was liberating!
ReplyDeleteFrom where I'm sitting, that's seriously got to be one of the biggest salvias I've ever seen!
ReplyDeleteI remember back in the day right after college and we bought our first home, we were totally strapped for cash. It was wonderful gardeners like you that helped me create the backbone of the garden I have today. These plants include probably 30 kinds of daylily, hostas, and even asparagus which I think left to grow looks really neat in the perennial bed. I was also given a paper grocery bag full of pink peony tubers one time, that felt like the best score! The peonies today have more than tripled themselves. I enjoy sharing with those who are just starting out, just like I did.
Thanks for this fun post!
-Anna
Greenwood Team