Why I Oughta...

Yesterday, I showed a photo of the growth that the three Green Gem Boxwoods have put on in the past few years .  I also mentioned that there were a couple of small boulders tucked in-betwix them that started out as a feature but have recently been hidden by the foliage.  I put those three boulders (two round, one more-square) during the Winter of 2023 .  Today, they're covered in this beautiful, soft green moss.  See below: I'd like to move these out from in-betwix the boxwoods, but I don't want to damage this moss.  It sure seems to like to grow here.  This is *exactly* the type of " Garden Personality " that I'm after, but it is being hidden.   The conditions seem to be right with the mix of moisture, shade and surface area.  I'm thinking that I can move these out to a different shade spot and keep them happy. 

Planted in the Fall of 2021, we have a cluster of three Green Gem Boxwoods planted in our backyard.  They're in a transition spot in the beds:  behind what I call the "kitchen curved" bed and in front of the Stumpery.   These were planted for four-season interest and to add some evergreen structure to the bed when it was just being planted.   Green Gem Boxwoods stay small.  This post shows their details, including their 2-to-3 feet size/height .   In their fourth full year of growth in our garden (plus a half-year from Fall planting), they've put on some size, but I don't think they're done growing.   Here's what they looked like after two seasons .  Still LOTS OF SPACE between them.   Below is a look at these three evergreen shrubs.  When I planted them, I stuck some boulders/large rocks in between them .  Back then, the rocks were the feature.  Today...the rocks are almost unseen - due to foliage grow...

In the Fall of 2021, I planted three Green Gem Boxwoods in the backyard, about half-way back on the south side of the garden .  They were tiny, $5-ONE-GALLON shrubs that *barely* lifted their crown about the soil.  Today, they're starting to stand on their own.  See below for current state of the three Green Gem Boxwoods in early Winter along with a lot of leaf litter. Some nice moss on a couple of those small boulders, too.  

I planted a trio of Green Gem Boxwoods in the backyard in Fall of 2021 .  That feels like an eternity ago, doesn't it?  They've had two full growing seasons (2022, 2023) and are headed into their third (2024).  They went in as tiny, one-gallon pots that were 50% off (my favorite price).   Looking back at their initial size, they've put on some good growth over the years, but they're certainly NOT mature just yet.  This post talks about them being more dwarf in size - topping out at two-to-three-foot balls .   Here's what they looked like last Fall - October 2023 - when I remarked that they had filled out.   I was out in the yard this week and noticed that one of these Green Gem evergreen shrubs took on some Winter damage.  Dry, brown tips that appear to have died-back with the cold temperatures.  See below for a look at the winter burn/winter damage: Over the Winter,  I decided to pull a couple of boulders closer to the f...

One of the things that I've been thinking about is boulders.  How to use them.  Where to use them.  Why to use them.  In my garden.  That's because (mostly) my new conifer garden. But, also...because of my dream of a pond.   Like most things, you can wander around the Web and find all sorts of tips/tricks/inspiration for how/when/why to use boulders.  Like this post from Nelson Landscaping in Oklahoma where they  give a few ideas, including: Highlight a single boulder as a focal point. Group boulders together to create a cohesive and natural look. Incorporate boulders into your patio design to add texture and visual interest. Use rocks and boulders to add height and dimension to your front or backyard. Surround boulders with pebbles and gravel to create a cohesive look. Everybody is talking about large boulders.  That's what the pros use.  When I say 'large', I mean HUGE.  Boulders that you need heavy equipment to move around. ...

We have a bed that lives *right* on the property line in the IB2DWs area that has never had a real, proper edge other than the one that we dug with a spade.  The issue is that there's a little bit of elevation change - by design - between the two properties.  My plan for this season is to make that bed feel a little bit MORE finished by removing some sod, shaping the bed a little bit and edging it along the property line in some way.  This bed runs up against a tiny strip of grass next to my neighbor's driveway, so I'd like SOMETHING to keep the mulch from running/floating over onto their driveway. I've thought about using the green metal edging that I used for our gravel paths.  But, Nat doesn't love it.  She wants something that works with the existing gravel, so I decided to start to keep my eyes open for edging that works to divide mulch beds from gravel and hard surfaces.  It wasn't long until I saw something like this below: And, then...something simi...