Spring 2024 Garden Notes -1
I am really behind… but here is the first project
In February 2024, I began eyeing the bed at the front of the house. I had really wanted to change it around in 2023, but with the stroke, that was not possible.
What I wanted to do was re arrange things so that the lower growing plants were closer to the tiny patio and the taller ones were on the far side, or front of the bed. This was going to require massive moving and reorganizing things. I kept staring at the mess and wanting to get at it.
Finally, the weather warmed up enough for us to get outside and begin cutting back the dead stuff and see evidence that new growth was actually starting. That would not last.
We had a couple of weeks of really unpleasant, cold, wet weather, and then it snowed, so that brought our bed renovation to a stop.
We had some nice warm days, all traces of the now left, and suddenly, out popped the Daffodils, and assorted other plants began showing serious leaf action.
Finally the weather warmed up enough for the clean-up to begin in earnest.
Another thing was that now we could actually see the plants that we needed to move. But, before we could really do that, we had to deal with the very invasive roots from the Sea Buckthorn tree (seen at the front of the bed), which had decided to head toward the house and also fill up a good part of the bed. That was a horrendous exercise. Those roots are diabolical. No wonder this small tree is hardy in such extremes of temperature; the roots are so strong and healthy.
Once we managed to expunge the extra tree roots, we were able to begin carefully digging up and prepping assorted perennials to be relocated. There were a couple that I was very concerned about: The medium Goatsbeard (Aruncus dioicus ‘Kneifii), which is seen a clump beyond the bare spot. The others were various Angelica plants. The Angelica have massive roots, and if you do not get the whole thing, they will not tolerate being replanted. Both the dwarf and medium-sized Goatsbeard also hate having their roots disturbed in any way and will sometimes refuse to “take.”
The Goats Beard was in a bad spot and really needed to be moved, as well as split, and the Angelica plants were all over the place, none in good spots.
We carefully dug up and split the goatsbeard, replanted it more in the centre of the bed, and replanted the other half in the back garden. Both looked very wilty for the first day, but began to recover several days later.
We managed to dig up and move one of the Angelica plants, you can see it just before the goatsbeard, with lacey leaves. It too looked very droopy at first, but after a few days began to perk up. Other Angelica plants are on the far side of the Goatsbeard, closer to the path.
We were not as aggressive as we ought to have been with the Daylilies in the right side of the photo, and they are now very overwhelming. In amongst those daylilies, but not visible in this photo, are a large clump of Turtlehead. We relocated some Shasta daisies and cone flowers growing close to the edge of the patio, and replanted some perennial geraniums(Black Widow) at the patio edge of the bed.
So, by the end of April we had managed to mostly reorganize the bed, and things we had moved were looking good. I had a lot to give away.
It never ceases to surprise me how quickly things grow. Compare the photo above, taken April 27, to the next one, taken May 14, and see for yourself.
The next shot of bloom came from the Goatsbeard, with the Bloody Cranesbill putting out its first vibrant pink flowers.
You can also see the Turtleheads which are busy overwhelming the Daylilies, while tyhe Oakleafed Hydrangea is busy shoving itself toward the light and pushing into everything at that end of the bed.
And in the last photo, you can see that the Oakleafed Hydrangea is in full flower, and the other plants have grown to begin crowding. (Sigh)
