Garden Planning

February 12, 2014 by Jeanne

What would you plant in this area?

We’re expecting over a foot of snow today into tomorrow. So what does a gardener do? I walked around the yard this morning and decided that this spring, ripping out the small garden near our back patio, the garden I call the fountain garden, is a good idea...I’ve never been very happy with this garden. We kind of threw it together, truth be told. We just dumped about two inches of compost onto the hard-packed clay and gravel from the house construction. Then we had the electrician into add more outlets outside and to run the wires for the lighting, and that dug it up some more. My hubby added the phlox border, which looked nice for the first year or two, but now they’ve gone crazy and are growing everywhere. And somehow, the Buddleia about 20 feet away has managed to seed itself into the garden. I’ve got mums, hosta, and columbine all fighting with each other, along with a few salvia. It’s really a mess...So what do I want back there? That’s the question. It’s shady, and near the house, which means that plants that normally attract deer should be safer there than in other parts of the yard. It also has ready access to water, and in fact the hose spigot is right against the house. When I turn on the garden hose, water always drips into the garden, making it shady and moist. I’m sensing a buying spree of hostas….I also love impatiens, and this is the only spot in the garden where they can grow. The other areas are too dry and hot for them. The cool, moist shade here is perfect for them...I think I want a woodland shade garden. I want to move the mums, move the other plants around to give the garden some form and space. I definitely want impatiens there; and the phlox needs to be trimmed and moved. The butterfly bush seedlings will be potted up and sold at the Master Gardener plant fair in May, or planted elsewhere in the yard...The next step for me is to take a pencil and paper and make some sketches of the area. It’s not a lot of space to work with, but now that I know generally what I’d like to do, it’s best if I dream on paper for a while...
What would you do with a moist, shady spot in an otherwise hot and sunny garden? Share your thoughts in the comments section.

« Amaryllis in Bloom

African Violet Problems »

Comments

Bangchik and Kakdah

February 14, 2014 at

I would put delicate green veggie assortments…. in our weather here of course…. 🙂

Replenishing Raised Bed Garden Soil

Raised bed vegetable garden soil soil needs to be replenished periodically. If you’ve done your job right and selected great soil, and amended it with nice compost, you’re going to have super garden soil for the first few years. Because you don’t walk on a raised bed garden the way that you do with typical…

How to Build a Vegetable Garden Using Raised Beds

If you’re thinking about building a vegetable garden this year, raised beds are one of the best ways I know of to start a vegetable garden. Instead of renting a rototiller or hand-digging the soil, adding amendments and turning it all under to create a good garden bed, you start with the best soil mixture…

Henbit: Plant Profile

I’ve put together this henbit plant profile to spotlight a lovely plant – which many gardeners consider a weed. Weed or flower? To me, it’s a matter of perspective. Every spring, at least one of my raised beds is covered in a thick mat of henbit. Henbit is both lovely and practical despite being labeled…

fresh beets from the garden on the lawn after being washed

The Ultimate Guide to Growing Organic Beets

I wrote this Ultime Guide to Growing Beets to share my techniques for growing tasty, organic beets. Beets are a powerhouse of nutrition. Both the beetroot and the leaves and stems are edible. You can also can beets and beet greens to store them for year-round use. Here, I share with you a full guide…

Reader Interactions

Comments

Footer