Mistakes Were Made

We all make mistakes in the garden. Sometimes the consequence is small and easily fixed and other times the correction takes time and a lot of effort. I have had to take shrubs out that were supposed to be four to six feet at maturity, they were over eight feet and growing. That mistake correction took a bit of elbow grease, digging up as many of the roots of said shrubs and dragging them into the woods to decompose. The culprit? Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum 'Daruma'. It was billed as a dwarf. While I know the straight species can get twelve to fifteen feet tall, I had hoped this would behave better. In the photo below you see the large shrub covering a bay window? That is the mistake shrub.

Unruly, Unpruned, and Unsightly

  I pruned this Loropetalum often, each time it felt like it wasn't enough to get ahead of the rapid growth. This garden has always been in flux. Trial and error, mostly error.

Pruned but still largely covering the window

Bushes cut- check

Roots getting dug out

New small shrubs were purchased and planted. Raw soil and clay still exposed, mulch needs to be added but first one of the other mistakes needs to be addressed. Does my current mistake fall under the "easy to fix" or "time and effort" category? I think it is a middle of the road mistake. 

Do you see the yellow ground cover? Yes, this is my current mistake to be addressed. Creeping Jenny, Lysimachia nummularia 'Aurea'

I know, I know. I knew it would spread but I thought I could contain it within the small garden area. Well, it had other ideas. Creep it did, through the Purple Pixie Loropetalum chinense 'Peack' and the  Salvia farinaceae 'Victoria Blue' and into the Dianthus gratianopolitnus 'Firewitch'. This is unacceptable! I did like the contrast in foliage though- bright yellow and purple or blue-green or even a bright red Salvia (name unknown) each made the other pop. 

Firewitch Dianthus and Jenny

Red Salvia pops against the bright yellow

Since digging up the aforementioned Loropetalum I have been hand pulling the bright yellow mistake. I have a large black plastic bag I have been adding to on a regular basis. Usually I just toss pulled vegetation into the woods to break down. This is too invasive so it will decompose in the black plastic bag. Well, I have not been able to keep up with the aggressive ground cover. Time to attack it with vigor. Today's plan is to take the shovel and dig out the Lysimachia and sift out the roots and any above ground growth. Any clean soil will be replaced. Plants in this area I want to keep will be dug up, root checked for any wayward Lysimachia, then replanted afterward. I don't want to use an herbicide if I can do it without. Time will tell whether I was able to get all of it removed. Later this week I will get some mulch and top dress this garden and other spots in the yard that need mulch. Time to get busy. Stay tuned for some after photos, hopefully without Creeping Jenny.

Do you have gardening mistakes? How do you address them?


©Copyright 2020 Janet. All rights reserved. Content created by Janet for The Queen of Seaford. words and photos by Janet,The Queen of Seaford.