Garden Edit - Nook Behind Weeping Cypress - Hosta Replacement Project - May 2024

Last month, I wrote about how 2024 might end up being the year of the great "Garden Edit" for our backyard.  I collected my thoughts about what I was drawn-to garden-wise and that boiled down to a few things:  planting in masses, focused on plants that work for our garden, have some appeal foliage-wise and have some four-season appeal (or at least 2 or 3 season).   I outlined a few places that I thought about editing including around the tree swing tree, the kitchen curved bed, IB2DWs and the 'hosta replacement project' on both sides of far backyard.  

The first "Garden Edit" that I took on was the tree swing tree.  Where, I reorganized some things and pulled the Hakonechloa Macra (green ones) Grasses to the front and plan on carrying that drift further back.  

The second "Garden Edit" was the southside Hosta Replacement Project/Stumpery.  I pulled out a number of hostas and transplanted the All Gold Hakonechloa Macra grasses from the Tree Swing edit on the border.  I moved around some ferns and moved the Hostas to the far reaches of the garden to 'store' them for later.  These first two sort-of worked together.  

The third "Garden Edit" is what this post is about - a partial Hosta Replacement Project in the little hidden 'nook' behind the Weeping Nootka Cypress tree that sits near the front of a bed.  

This bed was planted with a number of bareroot Bressingham Blue hostas.  These went in during the 2021 growing season and finally (last year) were of good-size and mass.  Below is a photo from 2023 that shows what I was working with along the border:

There are a few other things back there - some planned, some not.  That list includes the four Lilacs - just to the West.  A Harry Lauder Walking Stick tree - inspired by Disneyland Paris - that sits near the front edge of the bed.    At the very back of this bed, along the fence, is a Dawn Redwood tree.  It is one of the oldest 'new' trees in the entire yard as it was planted in 2018.  This will be the 7th growing season.  

There's also a pair of Ruby Slippers Oakleaf Hydrangeas and a spare Alice Oakleaf Hydrangea back there, too.  And a pair of transplanted Rhododendrons that I moved from our stoop.  And one of three Green Giant Thujas that is still hanging on along the fence. 

There's also a row of three Soft Touch Holly and a Mugo Pine.

That all adds up to there being A LOT of plants.  But, in need of an edit.  

I wanted to lean into repetition with this section and both use some of what I know works (and like) and add a few things to brighten the area up. 

The first step was to put a row of Ajuga 'Chocolate Chip' in the front of the border.  I dug a cluster that was near the Tree Swing Tree (now near the pizza oven) and divided it

Here's the Ajuga (before):

I divided it 15 times.  Yeah...15 times.  And placed those 15 Ajuga plugs in the front of the curve.  

I posted about the Astilbe Dark Side of the Moon and Sun King Aralia from the Morton sale this week.  Both of those plants were going back here.  I also wanted to use the Summer Beauty Allium that have worked so well around here.  

Here's the bed after ripping everything out - below:

Behind the Ajuga went six Dark Side of the Moon Astilbes.  3 transplants, 3 new ones.  Then, five Summer Beauty Allium and three Autumnalis Sesalaria.  And, backed by six Sun King Golden Japanese Aralias.  Behind those are the Oakleaf Hydranges and then....some space. I still need to remove the turf from this bed that you can see in the photo below:

The other side of the Nootka Cypress tree still needs an 'edit', but that might have to wait until Fall.