Tulipano

May 5, 2009

APRIL SHOWERS
I’m so grateful for the sunshine! With all of the rain I was beginning to think I would never experience the way a bright sunny day makes you feel. Your step is a little quicker, you smile with ease and my favorite, and you pause as you arch your face up to the sun and enjoy the warmth on your face.

Now that the rain has stopped I can get outside and see what, if any, damage it has caused my garden. You see, our property sits at the lowest point on our subdivision. Therefore all of the rainwater drains through our property; creating a river seemingly as wide as the Nile during downpours and prolonged precipitation. Although we have created swales to ease pooling, I’m afraid that Mother Nature tends to win out more often than I would like.

Trying to combat what the environment wants to do is an uphill battle I’m no longer willing to fight; it’s frustrating and expensive. I’ll share a lesson I’m reminded of this week as I check on my prized ‘Brunnera ‘Jack Frost.’ I remember carefully planning its current location so that it would be delicately nestled into Vinca ‘Dart’s Blue’ groundcover along with Narcissus ‘Marieke.’ My father always tells me that what really works in landscapes is when the end result looks as though it has always been there, and with this plan I was shooting for original installation…beginning of time.

I remember waiting for the spring show my combination would give; cheerful yellow and pale blue flowers hovering over a blanket of blue blooming groundcover. Well for those of you that are familiar with Brunnera, which I wasn’t before I planted it, it hates sitting in water. So needless to say, there was no spring show. All of my Brunnera had died! Of course, I’m stubborn and think that with enough will, it will survive. I’ve replaced the doomed Brunnera several times over. Each time I think, “It’s sure to take off this time!” Today, three very puny plants remain and every time I check on them I’m reminded that in life, you can’t always have what you want. Especially when you are dealing with living things!

The area where “the river runs through it” needs some additional work this year as I continue to figure out what plants will not only fit the design aesthetic but the environment. I’ve had success with Astilbe ‘Bridal Veil,’ Heuchera ‘Palace Purple,’ and a couple varieties of Hosta (the bed is near the street so bunnies tend not to congregate and nibble them up).

Because of our water problem we’ve been forced to try things I normally would shy away from. The Vinca was struggling in overly wet spots and instead of pulling it all up and installing something else, which seemed wasteful; we tried to fill in with a plant that was already thriving near there…Sedum kamtschaticum, the toughest perennial I’ve ever worked with. It’s true this plant has an amazing show when it blooms yellow, but I love it for its unique fall color…pink, rust, light green. It is to die for.

Last year we filled in some bare spots with Sedum and it took off; so we’ll be filling in more washed out areas this year. It’s strange because what we have now has varied quite a bit from my original “perfect” plan. I’m usually a fan of less is more, but the two groundcovers mingled up with a few different varieties together create something really eclectic and beautiful. Something, that strangely enough looks as though it has always been there.

Image: My puny Brunnera 'Jack Frost', Narcissus 'Marieke' and Vinca 'Darts Blue'

Next Week: MAY FLOWERS and lots of them