This season has been one of challenges that I did not anticipate. Throughout the garden many plants did not reappear after the winter. However, in the stroll garden there are several additional problems.
First, voles decided to over-winter near the large East Gate at the end of the Stroll Garden. It appears they did a lot of digging within the bamboo but they also destroyed the large expanse of dark green Hosta that had been residing in that corner since 2012.
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| Hosta, Dark Green, at right - 2020 |
For 12 years the Hosta thrived and no critters ever bothered them. This season they were decimated. I did my best to dig up the remnants and pot them up for rehabilitation, but it will be a while before I can determine if they will survive. Essentially, the voles ate the roots from underneath during the winter.
In their place, I planted four new Elegans Blue Hosta (Hosta sieboldiana 'Elegens') that were similar in style to the previous plants, except with a white bloom. I can only hope that the voles and rabbits leave these new plants alone. It will take several years for this corner to achieve the same lush, full look a before.
I also decided to remove a small two foot section of bamboo and plant a Variegated Dwarf Cardinal Shrub (Weigela florida "variegated Nana') in the corner.
