Planting plans

When I was visiting Mom a few weeks ago, I asked her advice about a couple problem areas. The first is the long, narrow bed next to the walkway. It's anchored at one end by an azalea bush, which is about four feet high, so it needs something that transitions from that height to a lower height. At the moment, I have a couple place-holders: a hellebore, some Solomon seal, and a hakonechloa (sp)at the gate end of the bed. Here's a look in black and white.

 


After talking with Mom, I think it makes sense to plant a mix of daffodils and day lilies for color and height and ease. I'll look at one of the WFF mixes and might just make up my own mix.





Another question has to do with my longing to add another sunny garden. There's not much room for this - only in the front yard, and only in a part of it, since the maple tree takes up so much space. I was thinking about a trio of small trees or shrubs like crape myrtle and lilac once I take out the slowly declining dogwood tree, but Mom thinks I need to keep the plantings low so as not to compete with the maple tree, and I think she's right. She suggested an L-shaped bed along my neighbor's driveway and the road, and I think this makes a lot of sense. However, this will only happen in the way future, since I haven't finished planting the new beds I already have, and they're looking kind of thin.

I'm planning to expand the planting area around the maple tree, bit by bit. The other day I mulched the bare spots and ended up with this footprint.



Plans now are to plant lots of tommy crocuses this fall, and beg some pachysandra (the good kind, not the invasive kind) from Judy.




Judy has also offered me a cutting from her kerria bush, which would be great in the back shrub border. I think the one she has is Kerria japonica 'picta' since it has lovely white-margined leaves. Here's a picture of one from raretrees.org.


I'm also thinking of one or two more sweetspires, since I love the one I have and there are lots of bare spots in that border.