garden update - plants!

I followed the plan and waited a full year before I started planting anything of permanence in my yard. I'm glad I waited.  I have wildflowers in unexpected places, and I now know that sunlight is a precious and rare commodity.  Most of my yard is what is considered not just shade, but deep shade. 

As soon as my year was up, I started on the Rock Garden, and Bird Garden.  I had already added edging here, broken up the soil (quite a chore), worked in compost, mulched, and tried a few annuals.(more)  In the process, I've learned a lot about this space. 

May 2012

December 2012

The impatiens did OK, (I think some were diseased) and the basil I planted in the tree stumps was no where near as successful as I'm used to.  Oh well, no more pesto for me this year.  Lesson learned, shade it is.

Deep shade or not, I'm really excited about this garden for next year...I just have to be choosy in my plant selections.  This area gets winter and some spring sun, but is mostly shade by summer.  Since we have already done some legwork here, I was able to start planting this fall. I added Christmas Roses (hellebore) and Hostas in between the hollow tree stumps, and planted Pansies in the stumps.

Look at the plants not the paint. I promise the house is going to be painted soon.

This spring I will replace the Pansies with impatiens.

But aren't they so pretty for now?

I also have some woodland poppies and money plants near my back door that I can't wait to see how they do next year.   This area will eventually become the kitchen garden, but all I have done in this area so far is weed and a little mulching.

Where the Rock Garden turns into the Bird Garden there is a singular spot that gets some morning  sun in the summer.  I planted a butterfly bush in this spot, and it seems to be doing well.  I'm excited to have some color here next summer.  Butterfly bushes can get huge, so I'm hoping that this one will get just enough sun to bloom, but still keep the size under control. 

The back side of my house is the area that I see everyday, as I come and go through the kitchen rather than my front door.  I've also started working on the sideyard, more on that soon :)