Each of these photos shows the same southwest corner of my shade tree garden... from slightly different angles. I labelled the same plants in each of the three photos to show which plants stayed for all three years... and I also labelled a few that only appear in one or two photos to show what had changed.
The 'Biokovo' Geraniums in the first photo, for instance, were moved to a new bed I had just finished building. They were replaced by a Hellebore and a variegated Hosta.
The Ajuga in bloom in the first photo and so plentiful in the second photo had largely disappeared by the third photo [taken this past spring.] The simple fact is that the Japanese Painted Fern and the Krossa Regal Hostas had grown so much they just overwhelmed the Ajuga.
The Autumn Fern that barely shows up in the first photo had tripled in size by the third photo... and has almost doubled again in size in the past growing season.
The two large mustard colored Heucheras [not tagged in any photo] have also exploded with growth this past season. Each of them will have to be re-planted because they have heaved up out of the soil somewhat. [This happens to Heucheras, I've learned.]
I think you can tell that the Japanese Painted Fern grew between photos one and three... what you cannot see is that it is growing SO well that it is going to have to be contained... or part of it will have to be moved... before it smothers more than the Ajuga.
The Oakleaf Hydrangea in photo one had at least doubled in size by this year... I'm very glad I bought the dwarf form.
When I pause to reflect on the years I spent designing gardens... I realize that a lot of those gardens involved shrubs a lot more than they did perennials. And that those shrubs grew and changed... but they did so at a much more sedate rate than perennials do. One season in a perennial garden, just one season, can generate remarkable changes that can be adjusted to or, more likely, must be dealt with.
This little perennial garden has been, and continues to be, an incredibly dynamic... constantly changing... wonderfully vibrant community of plants. Three years have seen so many changes... I wonder what will happen next spring.
I heard one time that a gardener, when complimented on their garden, should always say, "Wait 'til next year!" It's November 11th... the temp in Oklahoma City is currently 25 degrees with an anticipated overnight low of 11-15 degrees... so the wait has begun.