Definitely, Made in the Shade

This is the mess the homeowner inherited. I apologize for the distant photograph, but these aren't cute little shrubs. These are hollies which would probably dwarf the house, but someone hacked them back to next-to-nothing and they are hideous.

For cost reasons, we removed the center-most holly and cut back the others, severing the root systems as best as possible. We then applied glyphosate and covered them with 6 mil plastic. My chain saw hates hollies, but it's much less expensive than bringing in a back hoe.

Oh, before I go much further, we recently installed a foundation plant bed on the left side of this home - see Made in the Shade...Somewhat.

This is a shaded area, receiving minimal sunlight in the late afternoon. I decided to go with a variety of evergreens and perennials, including a variety of colors and textures - hoping to gain blooms, color variety and some other interest throughout the year.

The centerpiece is an Endless Summer Hydrangea. Unlike other hydrangeas, which will usually bloom in late spring and into early summer, this one will bloom from spring to fall - a mophead flower similar to a Nikko Blue hydrangea.

Okay, so photos of plant beds with so many young plants are not that exciting and why I usually return a year or so after planting to capture the more dramatic results. However; planting less-mature plants is more cost effective and worth noting.

In a short while, these plants will hide the crawl space vents, not the home, and be a focal point for the homeowner when returning home and for guests when visiting. In a couple of years, they will provide wonderful curb appeal from the street.

Considering the four existing hollies in the bed area, I informed the homeowner all the plants planned for the bed may not have a place without some excavation and that some may be returned to the nursery. Well, with some diligence, an ax, a landscaping trowel and loppers, we were able to place every plant as intended, not exactly, but nonetheless.

We used Japanese Holly Ferns closest to the foundation and then scattered, with a design in mind, the following:

Hosta (Plantain Lily): Stained Glass, Guacamole
Heuchera (Coral Bells): Georgia Peach, Champagne, Marmalade, Guacamole
Helleborus (Lenten Rose): Sparkling Diamond, Double Painted.
Liriope Muscari Variegata (Variegated Monkey Grass) - the border

We went with pine straw for mulch in this area as it is under a hardwood tree and refreshing the straw occasionally will be easier and more economical than blowing off or replacing the pine bark mulch we used in the other foundation bed.

The intent was to provide a variety of colors in this otherwise shaded and colorless area throughout most of the year while not having to deal with tree-like shrubs which will take away from the facade of the home.

We have performed a few projects on this property and I love working with "E" and enjoy the brief moments I have had with her brilliant young children, her mother and the barking, but loving dog. Hopefully, I'll meet Hubby one day.

"E", who is very attentive and well aware of the needs of plants, was actually leaving when we were in the final stages of the bed, for a two-day get-away with the family, and I was concerned, as was she, about watering. We both agreed the new little ones would be fine until then. Fortunately, we had that more-than-adequate rain last night. All's well.