Garden Journal: The Transformation Continues

Welp, 'twas another productive weekend at the Little Blue Murder House. 

It was all about rocks and transplanting. First of all, I finished digging the final feet of the big new trench border in the front yard, and then Mulch Boy helped to fill it with river stone. Then I hand-weeded the bed underneath the giant rhododendron. Behold!

You can't really tell from this picture, but this has really transformed this part of
yard that I sneeringly called "the showcase."

I also laid the last of our blue tarps over the new bed area for weed-killing and new-scheme-discouragement. You may recall that I had planted some ferns there that were gifted to me, but do not fear: they were removed for relocation to a better home before the tarp came down.

The rest of the day for me was all about transplanting. When we moved into this house, there were several random plants in the front beds, including some oddly placed hostas that have survived but not exactly thrived in the full sun the front beds get. I finally decided to rehome these hardy survivors.

These four wee fellows were moved to the driveway bed to
fill in this space by the little rock path.

These guys moved to the same bed under the Japanese maple.

From here, the transplant mission moved to the backyard. Looking back through this blog, I find to my surprise that I have taken almost no pictures of this back corner of the yard with the giant, majestic pine tree that, for me, was one of the selling points of the yard. The dogs have worn a path to and from this tree (or more accurately to the fence that is adjacent to the sidewalk where intruders insolently walk past our house EVERY DAY). 

It's beautiful and shady, and overrun with hostas and wild roses, but also (as we have learned) with a sh*tload of buried bricks, pavers, and rocks. In fact, at least some of those glorious hostas were growing literally on top of buried paver slabs.

Before the hostas come in. With dogs.

After the hostas come in. The pavers you see were
dug up by an enraged Mulch Boy when he discovered
they were there.

Since this discovery, the excavation of this old patio? dumping ground? has gone on the to-do list. However, the presence of the full-grown hostas somewhat complicates that task. Luckily, with my giant new backyard beds forming a blank slate in the shade, I could make good on two tasks at once.

And so began the laborious task of digging up some established hostas to move to the new bed (and also uncover some of the buried pavers and bricks). As usual, I forgot to take "before" pictures. And I do wish I had timed how long it took to dig up these eight hostas because I am certain it was the better part of an hour. 

The little ones were no problem. But there were two large ones I particularly wanted to move because they were literally growing on a paver. This paver.

This evil, monstrous paver.

It took the combined tools of the garden fork, Rod, my favorite hand trowel, and my own little gloved claws to finally tear these stubborn giants off this stupid piece of whatever it is and out of the ground.

See this big empty space with a dumb paver? That was all hostas.

Feeling naked, dumb paver? TOO BAD.

Also, there were rocks.

So, the wrenching-from-the-earth part of the project completed, I took my wheelbarrow full of hostas over to the new bed to introduce them to their new homes.

First transplant here: the tiniest hosta, under the birdbath.

The challenge in this bed now is identifying the path the dogs are choosing
to make through it, and avoid planting anything in that path.

This little feller is one of last year's coneflowers. I couldn't figure out why he
wasn't growing like the rest of them until I watch the pack casually all march
on top of him on their way to the back corner of the yard. That's when he got
relocated in front of the bird bath and protected by Oliver Grendel Holmes here.

BTW, the mojito garden is doing well.

Long view of the big bed, now with plants!

First of all the biggest hosta and one of the ferns I mentioned early.

Moving down the bed, the next biggest hosta and another fern.

In this corner, that second fern on the right, three small hostas, and the final fern.

Another view of the same corner.

Finally, last two hostas added in this corner where I'd transplanted a few plus
a wild rose when I created the new bed.

In case you were wondering, that's cayenne chili powder on all the hostas. I've been told it discourages the bunnies from eating them, and I hope it's true.

Meanwhile, Mulch Boy continued his excavation into the lost city of Rocklantis in the front. By Sunday, he had now cleared this entire area up to where brick paving kicks in, and here is the harvest.

This whole area cleared.

My boot for scale.

I am sure the Rocklanteans had a plan with all this, but it's beyond our comprehension. But hey, FREE ROCKS!

While Mulch finished his excavation on Sunday, I decided to go low-impact and just weed this bed. MAN, everything looks so much better after it's been weeded! Also, I'm so excited to see the perennials I've added the last two years thriving and beginning to grow up.

Geranium, astilbe, barrenwort, heuchera, and the new hostas.
Oh, and that catmint transplant from last year.

 

The giant catmint, those... things that I don't remember what they are because
I didn't plant them, and my new baby hostas.

View from the front of the bed.

And that was what we did this weekend! Now, just some progress pics to see who's blooming, who's living, who's thriving, and who's dying.

Strawberries: thriving!

Peonies: thriving1

False indigo: thriving!

Other peonies: thriving!

Dianthus: thriving!

Clematis: thriving!

Blackberries: not dead!

Dappled willow: I fear I have an addition to the "Dearly Departed" list.

Rugosas: revived since I took my neighbor's advice and cut
them down to nothing this spring. Also, that pink thing I
bought last year--well done, pink thing!

Pincushion flowers: thriving!

New bed and border: lookin' good!

Francis watch: I begin to lose hope.

Long view of the new bed edge.