Fall in the Garden

Even though I haven't updated much over the past month, I've been busy in the gardens. Unfortunately the patio/island project is on hold until spring, I just couldn't get around to it. I did move a bunch of stuff around and have the basic design in place, as well as an outline for the path and the patio. In addition to dividing and moving a bunch of daylilies, I moved the asiatic lilies to this bed, trimmed up the Rose of Sharon, grouped and moved all the foxglove I could find, grouped and planted the cushion spurge, and finally planted the Sedum Angelina. I bought it in spring and it's been in a pot this whole time! Everything seems happy and appears to have survived transplanting except for one phlox from Bob that didn't make it. Guess I'll have to get a new one or maybe try starting one from seed in the basement.

My main beds along the walk and in front of the house are cleaned up and everything has been transplanted that needed transplanting. I also created a "cut" in the walk to access the yard, since the boys were cutting through that part of the garden all the time anyway. New bulbs in this area are 2 kinds of anemone.

My perennial seedlings in the basement are also doing well. I've successfully started foxglove, salvia, liatris, agastache and a few other things. I also moved a couple of pepper plants from the back deck and they are filled with flowers.

Finally, the big project I worked on during my Dad's recent visit is the new bulb bed next to the garage. It was covered in creeping juniper with a low growing azalea being strangled in the middle of it. We used my car to pull out the juniper and unfortunately the azalea got yanked as well and couldn't be saved. I added top soil and peat moss (the soil was in decent condition under the layers of plastic and fabric the previous owners were SO fond of using EVERYWHERE on the property). Ripping all that up was hard work but I got the bed prepped and ready to go.

Dad and I dug up the little sand cherry in the back yard and that is now planted in the middle of the bed. It was in almost full shade in its prior location and was growing at a weird angle, reaching for sunshine. It will be in full sun now so I hope it makes it through the winter. I also moved a potentilla that needed more sun, and a Stoke's Aster from the island bed. The rest of the new bed consists of daylilies, some asiatic and tiger lilies, dwarf iris, and large cupped daffodils. I don't want to get too crazy with perennials there, so I'll probably just add some annuals next year to provide more color in the summer.

I couldn't find a good before picture of the bed, so this is the best I can do:


New bed and I've begun work on the stone wall that will match the walls on the other side of the driveway:



Red mums planted near the light post, along with some cochicum "fall crocus" that was a freebie from Blooming Bulb. I planted them and they flowered 2 days later!


I love that the coreopsis turned red, it looks so pretty. There is a huge pink mum plant in the front here that is just beginning to flower:


Sedum, mum and blanket flower are all going strong, and the gazania are ready to put out another round of flowers: