I have been working on some landscape projects for the past year and things are starting to come together nicely (I think!) I still have more mulching to do and I am working on adding more daylilies and a few more shade plants and perennials to attract hummers and butterflies.

back, right side of gas pack. All daylilies!
left side of gas pack and cold frame I made.
left side of cold frame around Rose of Sharon.
behind picnic table in back yard.
front view from iris bed.
south side in-front of fence under the trees
south side going down the foundation. New walk way.
under the birch trees
corner garden after whiteout roses bloomed
corner garden after azaleas bloomed
perennial garden behind garage


right side of front yard.

Susan - I hope you update this over the next few weeks. I can't wait to see those all bloom! Your Hosta area is so perfect. I'm inspired to add more of those! I'm impressed.

Beautiful. You have it exactly right. You have your hardscape for interest before the bloom and when the blooms come your hardscape will compliment them.

Great Job. I know it was hard work.

Fantastic Susan.
Your hosta beds are just gorgeous!!!! I keep opening your pictures.

Thanks everyone! ~ I will take more pictures soon and also the white crape myrtle on the corner is gorgeous when it blooms and you will love that too.

They look great Susan, looks like all that hard work paid off.

Yes, finally! Thank you!

Susan - I bought a Black Diamond Crape Myrtle this week. They are so nice. I got the red one with black leaves.

Wow, I got to see that one!!

How very lovely, Susan!

Wow! Great job on the bones, I so much prefer when beds have a border of some type, any type. Mine are not all the same stuff either, depending on what's available at the time. Kudos to your patience in creating the bed(s) before planting. I also use some rows along borders, but like the way you've done a more natural spacing inside the beds. Hope we'll both be around in a few years for you to share and me to see your pic of that Hosta patch when it's a solid tapestry of beautiful foliage!

Speaking of monocultures, I don't think Hostas are susceptible to much, but in the spirit of general advice, not specific criticism, you may find it safer in the future to avoid doing that much. Whenever a large number of a single type of plants congregate, a pest invasion or disease can develop where it might not otherwise, and cause more obvious effects than it might on more widely-spaced plants.

About the Iris, whenever I've planted them that deeply in the past, I end up with borers a lot sooner, from rot I think. If those are a concern where you are, or if that spot tends to be or stay moist, you can brush the dirt away from the tops to expose the rhizomes more, so they stay dry, which Iris prefer to be. Looks like a good spot for some sedum or a few Angelonia behind/around them might be nice since Iris don't bloom for a very long time. You could scatter some Alyssum or dwarf zinnia or any other annual seeds at this point for added interest here later also, and to help cover the ground so weeds don't get going. Daylily and Iris are great companions, if you you want to spread them around as they multiply.

I feel strongly about chocolate too!

Thank you Polly and Purple! I appreciate your advice Purple.~ We had a ton of rain over the winter and Polly had already told me to remove the mulch. So basically most do have the rhizomes top exposed, and no rot at all. Yippee! Unfortunately a couple feel over when they bloomed. ~ I just had not gotten around to asking advice. Since it is Summer maybe I could put down some mulch or something to anchor them down?

As for the Hostas, my garden probably looks like a buffet to a lot of slugs which is the number one pest. I am having little problems with the slugs because most of my Hostas are Slug resistant and also I usually put some pine straw around them to discourage it, they can not slide over the pine-straw. Lots of pine trees in this neighborhood so that is my next project.

Looks nice!

Karen

Thanks Karen!

Very nice. I really like your hosta beds. You will be amazed at how fast everything fills in.

Susan, what a garden you will have! Nicely done!

Betsy

Thank you Susan and Betsy! It has come a long way in three years, I am amazed.

This is looking better all the time and some are blooming!