Lifting and separating

This always sounds vaguely like an ad for Wonderbras, but in fact it is a highly recommended practice for renewing perennials that I usually forego. Today I lifted and separated the coral bells that edge the front garden, enriching their soil with leaf mold and compost, re-planting them, and watering it all in.

This was long overdue, as I realized particularly when I came to the edge by the steps. This part of the border was way overgrown with myrtle and garlic chives, and I grubbed them all out. The garlic chives I'll offer to the CRRL, the rest pitched into the compost.

Alison was horrified to discover that you might have to re-plant something you had already planted once, but as I told her, if you only do it every twenty years as I'm doing, it's really not so bad...

As I planted, I had happy memories of Mom giving me these plants, the pass-alongs from Betsy Hale's grandmother. I have some left over which I will also give to the CRRL or use to edge the shrub border in the back.

 

 

Here are two shots of the newly tidy edge.