Mid Season Makeover, Part 3

This afternoon, I finished up the new plantings and maintenance. 

I began by adding a Sedum (Stonecrop 'Strawberry Milkshake') along the back wall of the garage. There was a bit of a gap there that I thought needed to be filled. In the past, the bamboo covered this area, but only when it was tall. 

This year all of the bamboo on the property died off during the winter. Thankfully new shoots are now filling those spaces, but it will be a couple of year before they are long and tall again (provided they make it through the next winter). Hence the gap between the Forest Grass and the Bamboo. I also made some adjustments to the two small plants that were already there, a Japanese Painted Fern and small Hosta.

I liked the dark redish color of the Strawberry Milkshake Stonecrop. 

I also liked its rubbery texture. It should deter slugs. This stonecrop needs sunlight all day, and currently this location gets a great deal of sunlight. Perhaps in time the plant will grow in size, approx. H 20-24" x W 30-36". There is a water sprinkler in this location that will need to be redirected since the plant prefers dry conditions.

I then planted a Pandora (Lingularia dentata 'Pandora') in the area within the Zen garden close to Buddha, just in front of the Birch Leaf Spirea (Spiraea betulifolia 'Tor Gold'). 

It is a small plant  and will not grow beyond 12". It should produce a bloom of yellow flowers, but I have to wait and see if that occurs in the fall, or maybe next year. This spot was very small, so I think this plant fits in nicely. My only concern is that slugs will really like to eat it.

The later part of the day was spent reworking the area between the Azalea (Rhododendron 'Farrow') and the Coreopsis, Threadleaf ‘Zagreb’. The Coreopsis plant had been there for many years, but had lost its shape over time and was spreading around. Moss had taken over much of the area, and yet the Coreopsis continued to grow. So, taking a risk, I gently removed all the moss and dug up all of the pieces of Coreopsis. I placed them into a container as a single clump, then replaced all of the moss I had removed. Then I replanted the Coreopsis into a hole in the center of the moss. I don't know if it will survive or return next year, but it was worth it just to clean up the area. 

Behind it, I planted a new large Sedum (Stonecrop Rock and Grow 'Black in Black'). I liked the color, but I was also hoping that if it grows in time it will help to hide the view of the post protector in this location. 

My concern is that it will not get enough sunlight, but I will to give it a try and see what happens.

It will take some time for this area to recuperate from my work. Throughout the area, just under the Maple, were at least eight Japanese Painted Ferns and some other plants that I ignored for the last few years. I removed them all and placed them in buckets. 

As a result, the area is more open, and I have a bunch of ferns I can now relocate elsewhere or give to neighbors and friends.