While my husband was busy with the first lawn mowing – and fence building – I was busy with removals, renovations and additions.
I have had a pink potentilla at this corner of the North Lawn bed for several years but never been happy. I was reluctant to remove it, but this spring it look nearly dead, so out it came. Removals can be difficult, but they are sometimes necessary. Neither the dead shrub nor its hole are very photogenic, but you can at least see that one of the problems was the way weeds crept under this ground hugging potentilla. I am not sure what to replace it with yet.
My Alma Potchke aster, such a wonderful deep pink fall color in the garden, had become invaded by numerous weeds including Silver King artemesia. Beware of this artemesia! There was nothing to do but launch on a renovation of the whole area. You can see part of the clump of Alma, and some of the pieces I have started to replant. The whole area is nicely weeded. More of the aster will be replanted, and a few weed free pieces will be potted up for the Bridge of Flowers plant sale on May 19.
Actually renovations, as in Serious Weeding, are needed all over the gardens this spring. I’m about two thirds of the way through weeding the Herb Bed which requires replanting the Ashfield black stem mint which has wandered all over the place, and a clump of scarlet bee balm which became infested with mint and various weeds. I have herb seedlings ready to go in, as well as dill seeds. The renovation was really necessary here.
My friend Judith in Greenfield invited me down to take away one of her extra bleeding hearts. I hesitated thinking I don’t have any shade. I am so used to saying I don’t have shade that I had come to believe it. And yet, I realized I do have some shade on either side of the Cottage Ornee and even extended a small bed last year. I planted the bleeding heart between the cimicifuga and native foxgloves. I was afraid I would have to cut off the blossoms, but it perked up substantially, so I am enjoying this blooming addition to the garden.
As I begin the week I am looking forward to planting roses, and more barren strawberry that I bought at Nasami over the weekend. We are moving into high gear!
Ahhh, the Silver King artemisia is indeed a bit of a thug and not benevolent as it should be. The Yard Crasher crew removed quite a bit of an untidy patch. Still, I love the color.
There are native foxglove? I never knew.
I also dug out some plants, but mostly they had turned out too big and rangy for their assigned spaces. I also had some swamp milkweed and other flowers with grass growing into the crown. Hate it when that happens. I almost bought myself some Grass-B-Gone.
layanee – The color is wonderful, and I will never get rid of it all. I planted it on a bank with my hazel nuts. I’d like to get it out of the perennial bed though.
Jason – It is always so hard to imagine just how big plants will get – especially adjacent plants.
Poor potentilla – it really never looks as good as it ought to for such a widely (over) used plant. How about that sweet little deutzia Nikko as a replacement? So glad to hear you’re in the thick of the gardening season 🙂
Two of the most difficult gardening lessons for me are 1) move it if it’s not in the right place and 2) toss it in the compost bin if it’s not performing. It doesn’t pay to be a soft-hearted gardener sometimes, it seems. Goes against my nature, but it must be done.
Cyndy – I’m really glad you think potentilla might be disappointing – and deutzia is a great idea. I saw some at the garden center and it did stop me.
Robin- We must be strong! I am trying.