I added some new plants to the garden this week to help fill in some small voids and perhaps add some color to predominantly green garden.
After removing a Hosta that had been half-eaten by critters, I decided to plant a ‘Pink Lightning’ Dwarf Astilbe (Astilbe simplicifolia). This plant will grow to about 18” in width to 20” in height and will bloom mid summer with a large pink plume. At the time of planting, the plume was already present.
The plant likes part to full shade, so it should do well on this side of the garden. I am also hopeful that it will not prove to yummy for the critters that seem to like eating my Hosta.
Nearby, I also added a Delphinium ‘White/Dark Bee’ perennial. This upright plant has spikes of white flowers with dark centers. It likes sun to partial shade, so I will have to see how well it does on this more shady spot in the garden - it might get just enough light to help it last long term.
Hopefully it will survive any attacks by slugs. I really like the flowers and think the white can add some diversity to the colors of the garden. I also placed an additional plant on the opposite side of the Japanese Maple.
Along the northern, more sunny side of the garden, I planted a Delphinium ‘Blue Bird’ perennial. This plant will bloom in June and maybe September, so I may not get the bloom until next season, but once it appears, it could be a bright blue.
I also placed an additional plant just behind the ‘Pink Lightning’ Dwarf Astilabe - adding some blue here might balance off the white and pink.
I placed this plant midway down the slope so that the plant will not grow too high above the edge of the walkway. I like to keep this side of the garden level with the walkway.
One of my long term Hosta (Plantain Lily ‘August Moon’) located next to the Japanese Maple was half eaten. As a result, I decided to remove it and bucket it up in an attempt to salvage it for re-use elsewhere. I was unhappy becuase this Hosta had been there since 2009. I am definitely having more trouble this year with woodchucks who seem to be entering the garden and eating away at my plants, something they had not done in the past, at least not at this level in the garden. In place of the Hosta, I moved the Corabell I planted last fall out from under the shade of the Maple and into the more open space where the Hosta had once been.
This should allow the plant to do better and continue to grow.
