The restless gardener

There are some people who change wardrobes or furnishings often. Gardeners can take that need for change to a whole new level; in this case, with results for everyone to see as they pass by your home! I encourage you to dig up and transplant to your heart’s content. Gardens are living works of art. As I sit on my patio, gazing over at a pond my husband and daughter installed about 20 years ago, I want to jump up and trim this, add to that or transplant.

As I’ve mentioned earlier, each thyme I visit a place with plants I get new ideas. Last summer I stumbled across sedum for potting; yet even better, to use as a perennial ground cover with so much texture and shapes from which to choose. I tried a small sedum at the back upper pond late last fall, not sure it would come back. Boy did it ever. Who knew it would cascade down and cover the lip of the pond so well!

With hiding more of the pond’s edges I added some tri-color sedum at the base of the middle pond, to the right. Very pretty, but then the restlessness set in. I wondered about the size, whether it was too similar to the upper pond sedum? Eventually, I found myself at Lowe’s and what did I see-2 types of sedum I’ve never seen before.

So, I dug out the tri-color sedum, placed it under a variegated shrub in a front yard bed and wished it luck. It’s now thriving. Then, I planted the rich green, thick petaled sedum in it’s place.

Just weeks later, after falling in love with its texture, the different shades of green, I wondered if the liriope to the left had become too overgrown. Several years ago I took out a huge chunk and planted the variegated hosta shown at left. That added a nice pop, but soon I’m restless again. I think maybe I spend too much time on my patio! So, I pulled out a chunk of liriope in two areas that didn’t quite cover the pond edge, on both sides of the hosta. I planted this beautiful reddish sedum that with thyme will naturalize, allowing me to pull back more liriope to let it spread along the pond edge.