Well into fall, I already completed garden cleanup and cutting back. Nevertheless, I still had a large number of bucketed plants that I need to get into the ground before winter sets in.
This season was a bit unusual with warm weather right through October. As a result, many plants refused to pass-on, even after a couple of cold spells and frosts. Regardless, I cut back and proceeded to look for locations for the remaining bucketed plants. Some will over-winter in the vegetable garden bed for retrieval in the spring. Others I wanted in the ground.
Conveniently, I needed to re-landscape the area adjacent to and around the newly face-lifted garden shed. Time was my only concern since fall was coming to a close.
First, I started with the front of the shed. I oped to replant a Threadleaf Coriopsis I had under the window earlier in the summer. On either side I planted Deutschland False Spirea (Astilbe x arendsii 'Deutschland') to help balance off the view.
I then added a small leftover Coral Bell (Heuchera 'Amethyst Myst') to fill in the awkward curving corner along the brick entry way.
I also had to install a drainage bucket at the corner of the shed to accommodate the rain chain I am installing on the shed.
I then planted a Bronze Wave Coral Bell (Heuchera villosa 'Bronze Wave') just behind the drainage bucket. I may need to make some adjustments to this corner after the rain chain is installed.
To fill in the side along the shed I opted to transplant a small Green Velvet Boxwood (Buxus 'Green Velvet') from the Dragon's Spine. Its a slow grower, originally planted in 2017 and still small, so it will be many years before it becomes too large for this small bed. I centered it with the right-side panel of the shed.
After digging and planting these plants, I had a significant amount of dirt in the wheelbarrow. I was not sure how to deal with the very narrow bed along the curve of the grass and the pea stone walkway. I considered hardscape element like a large narrow stone, but was unable to locate any stone that I felt would fit in the narrow gap and also look nice as well.
Instead, I opted to use the extra dirt to raise a small berm along this narrow corner and extend it in a sloping manner towards the drainage bucket and the newly installed boxwood. I then took a small boxwood that had been growing in a bucket and installed it near the top of the berm edge, close to the other boxwood. Again, these are slow growing, so no fear they will interfere with each other for a few years.
The berm remains covered with mulch, but the mulch will not do well in this location. My plan is to wait until the spring and remove some of the mulch and plant something like a Red Rock Stonecrop Sedum along that corner/edge. It should help keep the little berm intact and add some color interest to this narrow corner.
Near the edge of the slope, and the larger boxwood, I planted a bucketed Coral Bell (Heuchera villosa 'Carmel) I had left over from the summer.
I also had a small cutting of a Japanese Forest Grass (Hakonechloa macra 'Beni-kaze) that had been sitting in a bucket. So, I opted to place it near the small boxwood. It will do better in the ground than in a bucket. In time, if it thrives, I will have to move it.
Finally, I had a very small Azalea (unknown) that had sat in a bucket all summer that I decided to place near the the rain chain drainage bucket and larger boxwood.
My only concern is that all of these plants look small. If they survive this late transplant and the winter, it will take time for them to mature and fill in this bed. Also, if they thrive I might have to reconsider the placement over a longer period of time as the continue to grow.
I still need some sort of small shrub just below the faux round window (maramado) centered on this back side panel. A grass plant already exists in the far corner next to the gate, but it has already been cut back for the winter.
In the meantime, the bed looks better, but with winter just around the corner, I will have to wait until spring to see how it all turns out.