Mailbox Garden

Last week I complained about the curb and how we’d have to postpone the mailbox garden until Spring. We had no clue when it was going to happen, and we were running out of time. And then that very day, as if the construction company was listening, they cemented the curb. The next morning they were back and filled in everyone’s yards with dirt, grass seed and hay. The holes and destruction were neatly wrapped up, they cleaned up, the only thing left for them to do is repave the street (but that's scheduled for later this fall)

So on Friday afternoon… I planted the mailbox garden I said we wouldn’t be planting until spring. I wasn’t planning on doing it, but it was a now-or-never/seize-the-day situation. Half the sod was already gone. The ground was soft and wet. The weather was warm but cloudy, rain was in the forecast to soak it in... and it felt like a good day to do it. So I did.

It went really fast in the ideal conditions, I knocked the whole thing out in a couple hours from start (digging up the sod) to finish (mulching). I think it looks great. I transplanted the hostas, the two sedums, the echinacea and the anemone. I ended up breaking up the anemone and putting it in two places to fill things out a little bit. I have some space reserved for a butterfly weed bush - I didn’t order it because I didn’t know when we could plant it, so that will have to wait until spring. I might also have to fill things in with a couple annuals next spring/summer until the perennials are bigger, but I think overall it looks great. I’m so glad it’s done.

Fingers crossed that these plants have enough time to take root and get over their transplant shock before the frost nips them. I really hope they come back in the spring. In the meantime I'll be doing an anti-frost dance.