I've finally finished with the landscaping along the pathway in the Dragon's Spine and the bed along the side of the newly renovated garden shed.
After removing a large 12+ year old boxwood that had grown too large, I decided to plant a Pink Azalea (Azalea 'Blaauw's Pink') along the fence line.
I also planted a Bartzella Itoh Peony (Peonia (Intersectonal hybrid) x 'Bartzella' adjacent to the Azalea.
These two plants should fill in the large space left open from then now absent boxwood.
The Pink Azalea proved very vibrant in the early spring. The overall garden is dominated by 50 shades of green, so having such a bright color was a marked difference. The Peony hasn't flowered yet, but I am hoping it produces a nice large yellow flower.
On either side of the back vegetable garden gate I had to replace two grasses that had resided in this location for 10+ years. One never returned, and the other was looking sad - two more victims of a rough dry winter. I replaced them with two matching grasses that will help frame the gate.
The height of each should help block the view of the "nursery" behind the shed (formally called the Junk Yard).
Along the shed I planted a variety of "left over" plants last fall. Some Cora Bells, two Boxwoods, a Forest Grass, and a very small Purple Gem Rhododendron (just left of the rain chain pit), all of which survived the winter.
This spring I added a Spirea (Spirea J. "Little Princess") next to the boxwood centered under the faux window.
Additionally, I planted some red Stonecrop ("Voodoo' Sedum spurium) to the bed. I am hoping to fill in the odd triangular space created by the new walkway with a bed of this red sedum.
I also decided to add a small mini-fence made of some left over bamboo and black twine from other projects. I found that I was constantly stepping into the space, so the little fence should help keep me on the path.
I also reworked the front of the shed a bit, by using just one of the Deutschland False Spirea (Astilbe x arendsii 'Deutschland') that had originally been planted (the second one had to be removed when the rain chain basin was installed. The remaining Astilbe was centered under the window, while the Threadleaf Coriopsis was moved to the spot just before the shed door.
That should complete the transformation of the beds at this end of the garden.
Now its time to wait and see how things grow and mature.