Last February, we moved into our new house. In the summer, I discovered one of the front tree beds contained an invasive vine as shown in the photo below.
Looks pretty, huh? It sent out tendrils with suckers that attached to anything and everything. You can see some of the stuff drooping on the tree trunk near the lower branches where I couldn't reach. Ugh! It was also growing around the hostas, into the lawn, and across the driveway before I pruned it.
So last weekend, I ripped all of its roots out before it could take over.
I was wondering if anyone could offer suggestions on a replacement planting? I have a few small green/white hostas on the far side of the bed, but right now the rest is a huge pile of dirt. Sorry there's no pic of the dirt yet.
I was thinking of of Bugleweed "Metallica crispa" (http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/58219/) and bought three starter plants yesterday. I also picked up two dwarf Rhododendron impeditum (http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/63566/) for another bed, but maybe they'd do better here? I just read that they can be picky/touchy, but at least here they'd have some acidic soil.
Thanks for reading to the end. Any other ideas for a master plan? I'm so excited to get this bed all laid out this year!!
You'll probably hear two stories on ajuga (bugleweed)--some people claim theirs spreads to almost invasive proportions, and others have trouble growing it at all. It is usually recommended for dry shade, and I would think that in a spot like you've shown it wouldn't spread very quickly. Before investing in a lot of plants, you might consider just trying a few for a season with the few you picked up to see how they fare. I hear mixed reports about winter hardiness, too. My 'Black Scallop' was a bit more fussy than I've heard this "trouble-free" plant is supposed to be. It looked ratty, and failed to bloom at all its second year. Then again, I think I had it in more sun than it liked.
I don't grow rhododendrons, but I do know you're on to something with acidic soil. Maybe someone with more experience can tell you how a rhodie will handle tree root competition.
Thanks for the replies so far. I added another couple Ajuga "Metallica Crispa" to the bed this weekend as well as filled in a couple hostas. Now they're in a more regular semi-circle bordering the back side of the bed. I'm going to plant the two Rhododendron Impeditum this weekend, probably at the two corners along the sidewalk. Do you think I should get a third to place between them?
I really do like the idea of adding some kind of small but sturdy anchor plant (these only get a foot high) for interest and structure. I guess there's time for things to grow, but right now the bed still looks pretty bare:
Nice work cleaning up that spot and eliminating the invasive ground cover! It's looking good so far.
I'm not a design expert, but the old standby of planting things in threes has worked pretty well for me. Of course, it might work differently with shrubs. Also, you have the tree serving as an anchor, which might change up your game a bit.
Kayly and Lynnie, thanks for saying my dirt looked pretty =)
Just an update: I went back to get a third rhodie. No deal; they were all gone. So planted the two I had and decided to see if they survived the year. I also added a half flat of creeping phlox in hopes of it eventually spreading. So far, the ajuga looks fine. No great growth, but I can live with that. Oh yeah, I also found a few baby columbine growing in back and moved those up here. A little mulch to discourage the squirrels and water for the season should do it.
Now we wait and see =) Thanks for any thoughts or encouragement!!
Ajuga has always spread slowly for me, but I've heard other people say it's annoyingly invasive. I'm not sure if its success is related to zone or soil conditions or what. I don't think mind liked its shot of afternoon sun. I hope yours does well!
Being patient and waiting for things to fill in is the hardest part. I know, because I just planted a shade garden myself. The temptation to run out and get more plants to fill every square inch is very strong. ;)
that looks great, Eleven! I planted the same phlox along my stone wall, they are very round, I thought they would creep over the wall & hang down, but they didn't, they're just big round clouds of lavender....yours will fill in nicely!
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