After the Lawn: A Progress Report

You may recall that we removed the last sections of lawn this past fall.  The process of remediating the soil in preparation for planting carried the project well into the winter months.  I started planting the area alongside the street at the front of the house in January and, although tweaking will continue ad infinitum, I'm declaring the project complete.

Here's what the area looked like in late January:

The succulent area in the distance was mostly planted but the area along the driveway was still relatively bare

Here's what the area looks like now:

I've finished planting out the area along the driveway, although the plants I've used are mostly small specimens that will take time to fill the space

This photo shows how the new area relates to the borders surrounding the front door in the distance

Turning around in the other direction, here's a closer view of the the intersection between the flagstone path and the railroad-tie/gravel path used to move our garbage bins to and from the street.

The area beyond the gravel path is planted mainly in succulents

About half the succulents in this area are cuttings from my garden and a friend's garden.  The 3 small Agave attenuata on the upper right are cuttings from the larger specimen on the left, which I inherited with the garden.

This photo of the same area was taken from a "doorway" entrance through the hedge adjacent to the street.  In addition to the succulents (described in my January post), I planted some bearded Iris (moved from elsewhere in the garden), plugs of blue fescue (Festuca cinerea 'Festina'), and alyssum. 

I haven't even tried to count the plants I've put in.  I've used cuttings, divisions and transplants where possible but I've acquired lots and lots of new plants too.

The Acanthus mollis on the left is one of 2 I moved from elsewhere in the garden.  The next two photos show Arthropodium cirratum (aka Renga Lilies) I divided from large clumps in the south side garden where they got too much sun.

New plants grown mainly for their foliage include, clockwise from the left: Dianella tasmanica 'Yellow Stripe' (2 plants were divided to create 4), Abelia x grandiflora 'Confetti', Asplenium x Austral Gem, Aucuba japonica, and Iresine hybrid 'Blazin' Lime'

New plants grown for both foliage and flowers include: Arctotis 'Opera Pink' and Heuchera 'Palace Purple', Ajuga genevensis, Geranium maderense, Plectranthus 'Mona Lavender' and Rhodanthemum hosmariense

Plants added primarily for their floral color include, clockwise from upper left: Cistus saivilfolius 'Prostratus' (aka sageleaf rockrose), Geranium 'Tiny Monster', Pericallis hybrids in shades of blue, and groundcover Prunella grandiflora 'Freelander Blue' shown with annual pansies

For some reason, I've accumulated a lot of garden ornaments in this area.  They're a little intrusive at this point but, as the plants fill in, I hope they'll become less so. 

Clockwise from the left: The concrete cat my husband bought me for Christmas years ago (he'd be happier if Pipig was also made of concrete); the smiling face I brought from our old house; a wine barrel placed in an area under a tree which would otherwise be impossible to plant; a small birdbath; and a hanging ornament that spins in the wind

Everything is settling in nicely, aided by two good rainstorms just this week.  At the moment, everything is looking up in the garden.

A rainbow appeared over the harbor after yesterday's storm dropped almost half an inch of rain

All material © 2012-2016 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party