Redesigning a border

This is the border that runs up the side of our driveway.  It is especially lovely in the spring when all of the forsythia is in bloom.  Then later the roses, gardenias, nandinas and azalias bloom.  I also have some hydrangeas, butterfly bushes and lambsears in this bed. 

I love it that it has the monkey grass border that winds along the edges.  It is on a hill, and at the top end  the bed is much higher than the bottom.
Because of the erosion, my husband put up a low retaining wall at the top 1/3 of the bed.  It curves nicely from the azalias back to an arbor that holds roses and clematis.

Now, as I am perusing my new garden catalogs, I am looking for something to fall over the edges of the new wall to soften it, and pull all of the colors together.  It is mostly soft pastel pinks, lavenders, purples and grays.  I also have to consider that the cherry trees and crepe myrtles have grown and added more shade to that end of the bed. 

I am thinking of transplanting some hostas from other areas that now receive too much sun because we limbed up some of our wonderful old oaks.  They look better, have stood up better in the last ice storm we had, and bring more light into the house as well as the garden.   So, in those gardens I need to remove some things and add plants that prefer more sun.

As I have said in the past, a garden is everchanging.  And that is what I love about it!
It gives me a chance to share some of the lovely things I have, and exchange them for things that remind me of my friends when I enjoy the new planting in my garden.

Planning is part of the excitement of the coming new season. So many new colors, scents, varieties to choose from.  The catalogs are all dog-earred already.  I will go through them many times before I make my final choices.

Do you have any new areas that you are planning changes for?  I'd love to hear about them.  Share your thoughts.  Maybe I will use some of them! 
Donna

Donna's Beautiful Garden: A New Season

Donna's Beautiful Garden: A New Season: "I love getting my new garden catalogs in the mail, looking at all of the new selections and improved varieties of old favorites. Every..."

A New Season

I love getting my new garden catalogs in the mail, looking at all of the new selections and improved varieties of old favorites.  Every fall I look over my garden and decide what will need to be divided, what will need to be moved due to possibly a change in light because of trees either growing or having limbs removed. 

I like to have large swaths of plants that make a statement in my gardens, rather than a single plant of many different species.  I also feel that it is important to have something always blooming or of interest in every season.  I want my color selections to blend to create a more pleasing view.  I also want to have it look good from all angles, as my gardens are seen from the street, inside the house, and walking along the paths.

Therefore, it is important to have the structure of small trees and shrubs in my beds.
I like perennials, since they are less costly in the long run, reproduce, and once established, usually need less care and watering than annuals do.  However, I always include some annuals for continuous bloom throughout the season.

Getting the catalogs in the mail shows me new options, maybe new color selections of old favorites, and also maybe a new size than some of the older plants.  I find that all gardens are ever evolving, and that is part of the fun.  I find great pleasure in trading plants with friends.  It adds memories to a garden.
"In solitude we give passionate attention to our lives, to our memories, to the details around us." Virginia Woolf



So, stoke up the fireplace, gather the catalogs and dream & plan your new season!