Do all living things start out defenseless? I certainly feel that way about the decidedly itty bitty plants and shrubs that have come to live in our gardens. Sure, the English Ivy and Creeping Jenny I love so much survive it all — the drought, the snails, the four-leggeds, the lawnmower, the stepped on it. The nearly one-year-old Oakleaf Hydrangea in the photo above is still regularly doused with Liquid Fence because you can’t be too careful.
Still, four years after returning to serious gardening, I assert that what I plant can put up a solid defense once big enough. Need some courtroom-like evidence? Keep scrolling.
The king of the transplanted in our gardens are two Rhodies. One of the first of many, many shrubs we’ve planted, these two have moved around — starting in the right-side room, then split up (one in a pot in deeper shade, the other on the deck), now in opposing spots in two garden beds. Perhaps in need of an ally, the current position of the one below (in the shadow of the much larger Limelight Hydrangea) might be just right! (The right photo shows the starting spot of these two Dandy Man Color Wheel Rhododendrons.)
The yarrow you see in the left photo is ready to hold off whatever comes stomping in or sniffing around. In the right photo, see the whispy yarrow near random leaves in the bottom-left corner? I dug it up to spend some time in sick bay (on my deck). Then, I transplanted it back to the bed a few weeks ago. I am worried about its future. Your prediction?
To be frank, the Bergenia Winterglow has disappointed from the start. I planted five and moved them periodically; one is left. Will it use its size to put up a fight and bloom why don’t ya? I’m waiting for it to fulfill the marketing promise, “A good performer even in difficult sites.”
Too often in need of something to fret about, I give you the Coleus planted near Larry’s garden-sitting spot. He loves their vibrant color, and the showy Coleus is ubiquitous in Colonial Williamsburg and on the William & Mary campus. Every year, I bring a little of both places into the backyard for him to enjoy. (I root pieces of these annuals and overwinter them in a soil-filled pot in our sunroom.)
Something is pestering the middle dark reddish one in the photo below – snails? The defense cannot rest.
#GardeningLifeLessons
Gardening: Before & After 