Plants in the "carport bed" are among the first to wake up in Spring. This is a small bed--about 12'X8', and is located to the right of the entry path and adjacent to the carport. It faces East and South and receives full sun in the morning and early mid-day (during the Summer) before becoming shaded by the house.
In some ways, this is my "most complete" garden. It has an open canopy provided by two multi-stemmed vine maples, understory shrubs (Ribes sanguineum and Fothergilla gardenii), grasses (Chasmanthium latifolium and Hakonechloa macra), perennials (Myrrhis odorata, Geum "Flames of Passion", Salvia lyrata "Purple Volcano", Allium "Summer Beauty"), and ground covers (Ajuga genevensis and Ajuga reptans "Mahogany"). I think it fits with the overall aesthetic that I am trying to build--a sort of casual place (well--I don't know if my control-freak tendencies will ever allow "casual" but, at least, I am striving to avoid "fussy") where moist meadow meets ungroomed hedgerow or woodland edge. This bed is especially pleasing in early Spring as the Ajuga remains fairly evergreen and robust throughout the Winter and is among the first of my plants to push out new growth. When I planted this bed, I'd hoped to see the Ajuga and the Geum flowering together--mostly, they do. Yea! Here it is today and the bloom will continue to improve over the next month or so.
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| As the planting matures, the layering should become more apparent--with trees (up), shrubs filling in underneath and masking the fence a little bit, and grasses and ground covers bringing it all together. |
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| Green and purple ground covers mingle. |
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| Geum "Flames of Passion" gets a close-up. I wish the flowers were a mustier color--they're a lot brighter than I'd hoped to see. Still pretty, though, and very welcome in the Spring. |
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| Ajuga genevensis pushes upwards. |
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| Geum with purple background contributed by Salvia lyrata. |
The plants included in this bed also look pretty good all season. The Salvia lyrata blooms early in the year, but the flower stalks are rigid and strong and the bracts bleach to white on the purple stems giving an effect that, while different than the flowers, remains attractive throughout the year. I do tidy-up the spent stalks of the Ajuga and the Geum, but that's about all the maintenance that is required in this bed.
In an effort to extend the bloom and to tie this area together with the rest of the front yard garden (across the entry path), I planted a small cutting of "Jolly Bee" hardy geranium last Fall. I am already second-guessing this decision. "Jolly Bee" ran rampant last year and almost ate the rest of the garden. Here, it will easily outpace its neighbors and I think the Ajuga, at least, may resent being covered-up. But, hey, the Geranium can be cut back as needed. I'm trying to hold firm to my decision and see how it plays out.
So, that's the carport bed on this Spring (rather odd Spring) day. Bye, all!
10 comments:
It's looking beautiful, Emily! When we purchased our current property 4 years ago, I dreamed of creating a bed dominated by red (not a color I usually use much) and blue/purple. Your photos push that button and have me thinking when I's going to make my dream a reality.
Thanks, Kris! I've been working on palette of smokey colors, but it is more difficult that I'd anticipated--plants are often photographed or promoted to be dark but often wind up being kind of bright.
Pretty pics! We had a geum, but it never did particularly well and M persisted in calling it 'the big weed' (which was fair, based on its foliage). So, no geum for the new place--not worth the opinions from the peanut gallery and it probably wouldn't make a go of it anyhow.
It's a gorgeous bed, Emily! Your thoughtful placement of plants really shows in how great this garden is!
Hey, I found some really nice and low priced gallons of erythronium at The Rhododendron Garden Nursery in Federal Way if you want to go that far to get them. Yellow ones only. (Not the Rhododendron Species Garden but they might have them too.) You could make a day of it. Furney's in Des Moines, RSG, and RGN. I could always pick up some for you and hold on to them until we meet sometime.
Hey, B-- No Geum for you!
Hi Peter-- Thanks! And thank you for remembering about the Erythronium. I may just drive down to the RGN and pick up a few. It's just one of those things, though--I remember seeing Erythroniums at many nurseries..every year... but now that I plan to buy some I can't find them anywhere!
I love that bright Geum, and I remember you recommending that I put some in my front garden last year, which I did. Mine isn't flowering yet. I love it. I have a native Geum in the back yard whose foliage does look rather weedy. I also remember seeing this bed when I visited, and it's one of my favorites. Happy to see a post from you too!
Hi, Alison! Thanks! I'm pretty pleased with this little Geum. The foliage is mostly evergreen and it has thrived with little attention. For several years now it has bloomed with the ajuga, so that feels like a tried-and-true combo. There are a bunch of pretty Geums in the "Cocktail" series.
I'm with Alison in liking the bright specks of red of the Geum. Sometimes it takes a little while to adjust to the surprises plants throw at us. That whole bed looks very pulled together.
Hi Rickii, Thanks for your comment. I DO like this Geum, but I'm feeling a little frustrated (overall) by the purchase of plants that are billed to be dark or somber or whatever and they are just, always, a lot lighter and brighter than anticipated.
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