Spring shopping spree

It’s amazing how quickly you can drop $150 at the nursery. But I got a lot of bang for my buck (see above), and I did it in less than half an hour, all during a business call my husband had to take on our Easter Monday holiday.

I apologize for the infrequency of posts lately; I was really feeling stalled by the backyard dilemma and my indecisiveness surrounding it, but after a late-night “eureka!” moment and subsequent design break through, I feel like I can finally move forward with my garden(ing) and garden blogging. But this post isn’t even about the back garden. That $150 I mentioned earlier? All plants for the front garden. Ahem.

Before: Okay, this was the front garden: exactly as the developer installed it – Fagus sylvatica ‘Dawyck’ (European Beech) in the centre flanked by a yew hedge with escallonia in front. Boring. (Say in sing-song voice.) It’s a raised bed, approximately 3m (9′) x 1.5m (3.75′) flanked by three- and four-story townhouses in our shared courtyard, outside our front door. Behind it is our little bistro set, much used in the summer months.

After: So fresh it’s garden show-y. But don’t hold that against it. I think it looks better in person, when the brightness isn’t so much the sole focus but a nice counterpoint to the greyness of the surrounding, dominant buildings.

Here’s what I planted:

Shrubs
Spiraea x bumalda ‘Goldflame’ (Goldflame Spirea)

Perennials:
Achillea millefolium ‘Paprika’
Alchemilla mollis (Lady’s Mantle)
Aquilegia vulgaris ‘Woodside Gold’ (Woodside Gold Columbine)
Carex dipsacea (Olive sedge)
Heuchera ‘Marmalade’ (Coral Bells)
Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ (Autumn Joy Stonecrop)
Stipa tenuissima (Mexican Feather Grass)

Annuals

Coleus
Ipomoea ‘Sweet Caroline Sweet Heart Purple’
Verbena Star Dreams ‘Double Salmon’

Related posts:

Nice (ahem) hedge