My Favorite Spot - May 17 2007

While walking around taking pictures for Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, I was struck by how nicely the area around the Japanese rock garden is filling out. Taking a cue from Kasmira, I decided to write a quick post about this area, my current favorite spot in the garden.

The red sedums--I have both 'Fuldaglut' and 'Voodoo' but can never remember which one lives in each area of the garden--are filling in nicely all the way around. Their rosy color mitigates the unnatural peachy brick tones of the recycled landscape block that borders both the rock garden and the sidewalk beside it. They also contrast nicely with the cool grey-green of the culinary sage, the bright green of the chives, and even the dark green of the nearby blackberry.

Two years ago, my boyfriend decided to surprise me while I was stuck working overtime. I came home one day to find a small Japanese-inspired rock garden plopped down in the middle of my backyard!

Japanese garden purists would scoff at our feeble attempt--and since he rarely reads my blog I will admit here that he did not really live up to my construction standards. But I love that he took the initiative to add something to the garden that he knew I would enjoy, reused stones and landscape block that were part of my spring 2005 retaining wall demolition, etc. More than anything, I am just happy that he's taking an interest in the garden and prefers plantings to grass!

Speaking of, the grass disappeared from that area shortly thereafter and the ugly beige fence was painted a muted dark grey. The doomed 'Bing' cherry tree, an old peony that I inherited with the house, a blueberry, a couple of espaliered apples, a grapevine with a trellis, and various other things have come to live in this area. I love how the 'Caradonna' salvias look against the bed of red sedums... the dusky purple leaves of 'Ichiban' eggplant do similarly good things for me on the far side of the rock garden.

I will definitely be keeping an eye on this area as spring progresses. I plan to build a trellis for the grapevine soon, and the wood is already stained a dark red color. The previously mentioned peony has blowsy double flowers that are the brightest shade of magenta you can imagine--and it's already waist high this year so it will need lots of space when it blooms. And a little further back, the 'Sum and Substance' style hosta that I got a start of at work is starting to unfold its leaves.

It may turn out spectacularly well... it may turn out spectacularly awful... but either way, it sure will be interesting to watch!