Overall I'm really happy with this results. I last shared an update in the Spring. Things filled in better than I had hoped in certain places, and in others I will definitely need to fill in. I made a few mistakes, but most things are easily rectified. Such as below - I planted some annuals from seed not realizing how tall they would be (they are taller than the echinacea), but since they are annuals I will just skip them next year.
The alyssum, transplanted from spring seed sprouts in the raised bed garden where it self-germinated from last year has done really well. It's filled in the front areas where we need low flowers beautifully. I'm hoping they will continue to self-seed and germinate in the future, but if not I can always plant new seeds or add in more low perennials. The 2 blanket flowers I also grew from seed are also doing great. The butterfly weed is filling in so nicely (and is so easy to grow from seed!), we have 3 blooming in different spots and I just love the orange flowers.
The most glaring spot is here (marked by the trellis below), also mentioned in the spring, around the irises/delphiniums/hydrangea. The irises need a little more variation in color (since the pink and yellow didn't survive) and I think that will help fill in between the irises and delphinium (which died back completely after blooming... hopefully it's not dead-dead and just gone for the season?). There's also a big gap between the delphinium and the hydrangea. The hydrangea should get bigger in the next year or two (since it was split and transplanted here and needs to reestablish itself), but there will still be a gap. We need something tall here. I have a tall pink echinachea up front I could split. Or maybe another black eyed susan? Lupine? More delphiniums?
I also have a gap in the shade garden here (in the photo towards the right between the hostas). I'm thinking a big root geranium or salvia, something to break things up with something different. Nothing too tall, but the empty wedge goes all the way back to the fence.
The astilbe here is very unhappy - it's the sickly yellow thing in the center of the photo below. I think it's getting too much sun. I'm going to dig it up this fall and move it to another spot in the yard where hopefully it will be a little happier and get more shade. However this will leave a gap here and it will need something.
Another mistake I made this year is with dahlia bulbs, an example of which you can see next to the astilbe above. Last Fall when I dug them up I just threw them all together for storage (in paper bags in the basement) and so this spring I had no idea what was what. This of course has led to having tall dahlias where I needed short ones (like above) and short ones where I needed tall ones. In October I have to be more organized and make two groups - tall and short - so next year I can plant them better.
The original anenome plant that's spawned all the other pink anenomes in our yard is a monster yet again despite constantly cutting it back. Seriously those buds are 6/6.5 feet high. It's ridiculous and beautiful. Even though we're in the peak of summer I've attempted to transplant a chunk of it over by the blackberries to give the other flowers more room. It might not take, being so hot, but the alternative was just throwing some of it away when I trimmed it back so there's no loss. I can always transplant another chunk in the fall.
So my fall plans:
- Separate tall dahlias from short for winter storage
- Move astilbe that's miserable
- Fill in gaps with 3 sun-loving plants, 1 shade plant
- Add a couple more short perennials (this might wait until spring, depending)
- Move a couple more anenome transplants to the fence by blackberries
- Add a couple more irises (for variety, from spring notes)
- Add more tulip bulbs (from spring notes)
I also have a gap in the shade garden here (in the photo towards the right between the hostas). I'm thinking a big root geranium or salvia, something to break things up with something different. Nothing too tall, but the empty wedge goes all the way back to the fence.
The astilbe here is very unhappy - it's the sickly yellow thing in the center of the photo below. I think it's getting too much sun. I'm going to dig it up this fall and move it to another spot in the yard where hopefully it will be a little happier and get more shade. However this will leave a gap here and it will need something.
Another mistake I made this year is with dahlia bulbs, an example of which you can see next to the astilbe above. Last Fall when I dug them up I just threw them all together for storage (in paper bags in the basement) and so this spring I had no idea what was what. This of course has led to having tall dahlias where I needed short ones (like above) and short ones where I needed tall ones. In October I have to be more organized and make two groups - tall and short - so next year I can plant them better.
The original anenome plant that's spawned all the other pink anenomes in our yard is a monster yet again despite constantly cutting it back. Seriously those buds are 6/6.5 feet high. It's ridiculous and beautiful. Even though we're in the peak of summer I've attempted to transplant a chunk of it over by the blackberries to give the other flowers more room. It might not take, being so hot, but the alternative was just throwing some of it away when I trimmed it back so there's no loss. I can always transplant another chunk in the fall.
So my fall plans:
- Separate tall dahlias from short for winter storage
- Move astilbe that's miserable
- Fill in gaps with 3 sun-loving plants, 1 shade plant
- Add a couple more short perennials (this might wait until spring, depending)
- Move a couple more anenome transplants to the fence by blackberries
- Add a couple more irises (for variety, from spring notes)
- Add more tulip bulbs (from spring notes)
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