Destroying in order to create.

I was never really happy with the front bed. That's the one by the front door where I have tea olives, a few rooted gardenias that are over 2' tall on one stem, and a few nandinas. I edged the bed with Liriope spicata. Soon, the struggling coneflowers will be removed. The shastas will be relocated. The gardenias will be pruned in the spring to encourage some thickening in the middle. Pine straw will be the mulch of choice. The entire slope will also get that treatment. I think it'll dress up the front of the house. Right now, the broken steps draw the most attention. I've got to do something about that.

There were also heucheras. I planted them last fall with dusty miller and pansies. I got them cheap. I thought it would be nice. The dusty miller had another plan. I pulled that out weeks ago. So what to do with the heucheras? Well, I do have a sad little blank spot that the boat used to hide. It went home yesterday. I decided to turn this space into a shady bed along the edge of the driveway.



Just beyond, I already have azaleas, hosta, and lots of unwanted groundcover.



Most of the heucheras were purple. A few have some really nice coloring.



There's a rescued tea olive that will someday fill this corner.



I tossed in a few hosta from the north side of the house. Four small ones that were wintersown two years ago were also moved here.



I added the grass and a couple plugs of liriope. I need more, and I know just where to get it. Gonna have to wait a bit on the weather to cooperate.



And I did it all by hand, turning the soil and mixing years of matter and debris. Shattered glass provides the drainage. Rotting oak leaves are the humus. There's even pea gravel under this bed. Leftovers from construction, maybe. I like my tools.



It's 88 degrees and sunny. There's not a cloud in the sky. I'm waiting on the shade to move to the backyard. I've got some plants that need my attention.