For several years I had dreamed of replanting the two beds at the front of the house. The shrubs had become overgrown and although they remained green and lush throughout the year, I longed for a more cottage style garden filled with flowering plants that would attract butterflies and hummingbirds.
Last April I had the overgrown shrubs pulled out, {I salvaged three by replanting them in new locations}, which opened up a lot of space to the approach of the house. {This post will focus on the bed to the left of the front door}.
You only see one yaupon holly shrub {to the right} in this shot. There were six total; three flanking each side of the walkway to the front door.
Here you see the rest of the bed as it curves to the left revealing a Japanese holly fern and a couple Indian hawthorn shrubs. The swing wasn't as welcoming as I would have liked since the shrubs were so tall and dense. The limestone wall to the left helps create a nice, private space that feels cozy. I wanted to design a seating area that was welcoming and reminiscent of a time when neighbors felt compelled to stop and chat.
Oklahoma flagstone was my choice for the patio. We used decomposed granite to fill in the negative space between the stones. A weeping Japanese maple adds a little height and drama with soft, beautifully textured leaves. Oh yes, and I painted the swing black to match the shutters and rocking chairs on the opposite side of the porch.
By this time in April last year, it was already dry and beginning to get hot. I decided to hold off planting most of the perennials until fall, with the exception of silver pony-foot, purple heart and elephant ear {along the limestone wall}. Annuals were used for seasonal color and to buy me some time until I could plant when the weather cooled.
Green and purple sweet potato vine spills from a terra cotta pot, zinnia adds as splash of color and Thai basil {mid-right} is grown for culinary purposes as well as for it's late summer/early fall show of purple flowers {below}. Silver pony-foot peaks from behind the green sweet potato vine on the left.
Bee enjoying Thai basil bloom late last summer.
This is the bed today. Starting at the top left of the photo, elephant ear, purple heart and Mexican honeysuckle (orange bloom). Behind the maple and out of sight, is mountain sage (orange), lyre leaf sage (purple) and a few violets (purple). Firespike (red) is found behind the pot on the right. In front of the pot is daisy (white), I'm not sure of the variety, it was a pass along from a friend. Purple heart is planted in the pot. Under the tree and left is silver pony-foot and in front of that is pineapple sage (red).
Cat's whiskers (white) is a new plant I'm trying. This bed sits in a low, semi-shady spot and stays wetter than any other area in my yard. Cat's whiskers likes it more wet than dry and is a tender perennial. If we have a mild winter like last winter, it should be fine. If not, then it will be an annual. It's sweet flowers were worth the chance to me. I love how the delicate leaves of the maple and the delicate flowers of the cat's whiskers play on the breeze together.
Moving forward from the cat's whiskers, the bed becomes sunnier and heat loving plants were used. Ruby crystals grass (pinkish purple), milkweed (orange/yellow/red), cosmos (orange), (reseeded from last summer), Thai basil (purple), globe mallow (orange) and black-eyed Susan (yellow), (from a near-by bed) finish the planting.
The season's first cosmos bloom.
I'm eager for everything to start filling in so my dream of a butterfly/hummingbird attracting garden can become a reality. My desire to have neighbors feel welcome has been achieved...my neighbor and new friend
Leroy has stopped by a couple of times and that makes all the hard work worth it!
