Wednesday, August 15, 2012

A Garden Is Always Changing

People who do not garden just don't understand all the movement we undertake to make things just perfect!  I have about twenty plants in my head that I know I must move because they are not in the right place.  Some years I get this mission accomplished and some I do not and must look at them misplaced for another year.

I took out my Persicaria Polymorpha, gave it almost nine years, just wasn't in a happy place.  In its place is Dwarf Fothergilla a wonderful shrub that grows three to four feet tall, blooms with a bottlebrush type flower in the spring and has beautiful fall color.  It is small enough that it will not fall over on the path.

I have looked at my Chicago Apache Daylilies for many years, great bloom in the south raised bed and then nothing for the beginning and end of the summer and fall.  I must get a companion plant in there that keeps going all season.  It is going to be Heliopsis Loraine Sunshine, blooms late spring, summer and fall.  Why didn't I think of this before, looking at it falling over the walk for years?

I will move Chicago Apache to the back of the raised bed, planted in triangles, with Heliopsis Loranie Sunshine in front.

I think Loraine will be in a much happier place in the raised bed.  It can spread its wings!

I am also going to redo this bed with Happy Returns Daylilies and Orienpet lilies.  The lilies are way too tall for this raised bed and the daylilies are dormant too much of the time.

There are probably some things I need to change in this long south border, but I don't even want to think about removing some of the roses (Japanese Beetle destruction).

The beetles were even all over Morden's Pink Lythrum this year but after cutting off the eaten flowers it came back.

I have placed some Panicum Shenendoah in and out along the border so there will be some fall and winter interest.

I bought Ginger Bamboo in the beginning of the season for my front planters and found it just couldn't take the heat or the sun.  So, I moved it along the south walk with the Sunpatiens and it has flourished.  I am finding the Sunpatiens like to be in the ground not a pot and in my garden they like a little shade time.

I already took out my bleeding hearts in the spring and relocated them, gave some away, so that I would have more going on on the north side rather than just dying foliage  It is very difficult to layer under mature bleeding hearts.  So, I have scaled down, ferns, smaller hosta, astilbe (which may be short lived if we have another scorching summer) epimedium, hellebore and heuchera.  I even put in a couple of sunpatiens as an experiment.

Even with a watering system the astilbe could not take the heat.  I will have to rethink this area because it has been talking to me for many years now about not working out in this area.  If the north side of my house can't accomodate it, I do not have a place for it in my garden. 

This is a plant that has flourished in the heat in the same area as the astilbe.  Believe it or not it is a bleeding heart Dicentra Exima, blooms all summer.

I really like this north side, Unique Hydrangeas were just fine this year but smaller, Pachysandra didn't even notice the heat and Solomon's Seal just like it was in the spring.

This is the area where I removed the bleeding hearts and put in a variety of part shade plantings, Peach Flambe Heuchera (this one will take full sun), Interrupted Fern, Hellebore, June Hosta, Japanese Painted Fern, Heucherella Stoplight, Fanal Astilbe (can't believe I put in astilbe after what I just said) Epimedium.

This is a high maintenance grass, Carex Ice Fountains, at least where I have it along the north path.  Each season it has to be trimmed down a couple of times and then again in the fall.  It will spill over if not supported.  Well, something less demanding will be the new occupant, but I haven't told my helper yet that he will have to dig it out.

These are new in the front garden beds, Allium Summer Beauty, supposedly looks good all seasons.  We'll see as I am not liking the way some of them look after done blooming, but it could be because I have just planted them.

Autumn Fern is lovely but it just began to show in the too tall Lirope.  I need to move them where they show up much earlier in the season.

The vegetable garden is probably the one area where I do not make too many changes.  It is not even big enough to rotate crops but seems to do well year after year.


The header is from a garden walk which I will be posting in the future.

16 comments:

scottweberpdx said...

You are so right...I'm sure we must seem crazy to people who aren't gardeners! I'm always thinking of things that have to move/change as well.

Casa Mariposa said...

I play the Happy Plant Hokey Pokey every year. One plant comes out while another plant goes in! In July I start writing down all my transplanting plans. But I think your garden looks great already. :o)

Leslie's Garden said...

The thing I hear myself say more than anything else is, "Next year..." I sure wish I could get it the way I want it THIS year!! I'm always a little nervous about moving plants. I'm afraid I'll kill it.You have a gorgeous garden. I enjoyed seeing each part and reading your plans. Very exciting!

Larry said...

The color in your photos is stunning!... Regarding Persicaria polymorpha.... my wife has made it abundantly clear that she does not care for this plant.... I have two which may well be taking a hike before long! Larry

Beth said...

Eileen, I can so identify with your comments. This time of year, I am constantly thinking about the new plants I want to incorporate (where), and what needs moved (and where to). My design ideas - constantly obsessing about the garden and making it better. Love your lythrum. Very colorful.
Thanks for an interesting post that I can really identify with!
Beth
p.s. You just reminded me that my orienpets are too tall for their location and need moved. (groan). Sometimes, it is tiring to think about everything that needs done in my garden!

Balisha said...

I enjoyed reading about all the plans for your garden. But, oh, Eileen...it sounds like so much work for this old body. I pretty much leave mine as it is in my old age, but I have the joy of coming to visit your blog to see your wonderful gardens.
Balisha

Gatsbys Gardens said...

Hi Scott,

With the cooler weather now I am really excited about making all of these changes.

Eileen

Gatsbys Gardens said...

Hi Mariposa,

Some things did come through the heat but I have some perennials, like the astilbe that did not.

Eileen

Gatsbys Gardens said...

Hi Leslie,

I am already buying some plants on sale for the north side.

Eileen

Gatsbys Gardens said...

Thanks Larry,

I really did not want to pull out the Persicaria but it looks bad more often than it looks good.

Eileen

Gatsbys Gardens said...

Hi Beth,

I love those Orienpets and have ordered some more of the shorter variety. I am going to try the tall ones in the back by the fence, hope it works.

Eileen

Gatsbys Gardens said...

Hi Balisha,

It is a lot of work but I am going to break it into small pieces and then it won't seem so overwhelming.

Eileen

Karen said...

I think my list this fall is probably as long as yours. The weather just got so hot so fast this spring I didn't have time to half of what I wanted to. Hope you will hang in there with Summer Beauty. Mine are doing fine, although my Peek-a-boo planted later isn't.

Gatsbys Gardens said...

Hi Karen,

I really want Summer Beauty to work because it is at the Lurie Gardens and loves the heat. How did you get Peek A Boo, supposedly it is not going to be marketed until next year?

I am not planting any perennials that did not like the heat this year. Amazing that my ferns look great!

Eileen

Gloria Bonde said...

Eileen, your garden flowers are beautiful. So true about needing to move plants. Just this morning I was thinking that as soon as it it cool enough for the plants to be able to stand the move, some are going to move. We have such aha moments when we are movimg these plants.

Bernideen said...

What a great garden - how can anyone not love getting into this!