State of the (Original) IB2DWs Bed - June 2025

Having done a similar post last year and in 2022, I thought it was a good time to revisit the "State of the Original IB2DWs bed".  That's the original bed in between two driveways.  Here is the post and photos from 2022.  And, here is the post and photos from last year.  Looking back at 2022 - three years ago - a lot has changed.  Everything was immature, but 'bones' were there.  The All Gold Hakonechloa grasses, the Karl Foerster Grasses in back and a couple of Serendipity Alliums.  All were present.

But by 2024, they were joined by other things. Including the (gasp!) Creeping Jenny Groundcover. And other perennials including Cat's Pajamas Nepeta, some Elijah Blue Fescue clumps, a red sedums, a couple of Agastache Blue Fortune, a Prairie Dropseed, some Peonies, a couple of conifers, some boxwoods, a Cardoon and a couple of trees. The Cardoon ran for two years and hasn't come back.

But, I've also added a few things.  Including a trio of Lascar Black Velvet Verbena - a flowering annual - to the front of the border, right next to the driveway.  

How does it look now - in 2025?  Pretty good.  The conifers are doing well - the Weeping Norway Spruce - is doing better than the Bird's Nest Spruce.  The Bald Cypress has been limb'd up a little bit, but is very happy.  The bulb allium are in bloom and have bloomed longer and later than the ones in our front porch bed.  

Below is the current state:

Here, below, is a shot looking down the driveway.  You can see one of the boxwoods in this photo - it has put on some good size. 

I'm going to plan on filling in the front of the border with either some flowering annuals or maybe a border dahlia or two.   And, watch the creeping Jenny.  Other than that, I feel good about the current state of this bed.