What's That Behind the Garage? A Fairy Hobmother!

Let's continue the tour around the gardens shall we?  Lurking on the far side of the garage is my favourite project of the year.  Possibly because it's one of the few things that was completed!  Last fall I put down newspaper and compost to create a new bed behind the garage.  This spring I decided it wasn't quite large enough and used the sod cutter to widen it just a bit as well as lengthen it. 

I wanted to make sure the bed was wide enough to contain the plants once they had grown to full size

I wanted this bed particularly for a plant I had bought at last year's plant sale.  The Plume Poppy is an excessively large plant that has invasive tendencies and I thought putting it in its own bed might help to contain it.  Once the bed was created I dug the poppy out of its place in the entrance bed and brought it over.  It has done well to say the least.



It took no time for this plant to grow several feet high and wide

Prior to Hurricane Irene the Plume Poppy was approximately 6 feet tall with sprays of tiny white flowers adorning its tops.

Days before the storm

Unfortunately this plant cannot handle wind.  Despite the thick stalks, the plants were pushed over in the wind gusts and even uprooted.  The bed doesn't look quite as good now but since this plant is such a rampant grower I think it will grow back in the spring just fine.

In addition to the poppy I planted hollyhock seeds from my mother's garden.  They are a single red variety that I hope will complement the leaves of the Plume Poppy.  I seeded them pretty thickly and they have formed a carpet of plants now one foot high.  

In keeping with a theme of large leaved plants I moved a large hosta from the front of the house and divided it into three plants.  I was shocked at how quickly the divisions grew.  Each division is now almost the size of the original plant! 

The hostas in this picture were divisions of just one plant!

Other additions from nursery shopping excursions included Heuchera sanguinea 'Ruby Bells'

Columbine 'Winky Purple-White' (Aquilegia vulgaris), Speedwell 'Blue Bouquet' (Veronica spicata)  and Hardy Geranium 'Samobor' (Geranium phaeum).

When I expanded the bed in spring I went right around to the back of the garage.  Here I placed Lily of the Valley and the mystery corm.  I thought the corm was a tropical plant and would like the heat.  Surprise!  A dear relative was able to identify this plant for me and hot is NOT what this plant was looking for.

The leaves finally opened!

Turns out this corm is actually a native plant called Jack in the Pulpit or Arisaema triphyllum.  A plant that thrives in woodlands and part shade.  Little wonder it was struggling with the hot and dry conditions on this side of the garage.  A change of location is definitely in order.

Plants that are liking the hot and dry conditions are Echinacea purpurea 'Powwow White' and Rudbeckia laciniata 'Golden Glow'.  The Echinacea was only recently planted but the Golden Glow has had all summer to get comfortable and it appears quite happy.  I love coming round the corner and seeing the cheery bobbing yellow faces.

But what about the Fairy Hobmother you say?  Even if you look closely she is hard to spot but if you ask nicely perhaps she'll visit you personally.  Last week I was traipsing around the blogosphere visiting Jen at Muddy Boot Dreams.  Jen mentioned a Fairy Hobmother had been to see her and maybe the Fairy from Appliances Online would visit me too if I left a comment.  Well, what a surprise.  This Monday morning I opened my mail to discover the Fairy Hobmother had come to visit.  New plant markers will be on their way to me by days end!  Would you like the Fairy Hobmother to leave you a present too?  Please leave a comment below and you might be the next lucky recipient of her magical ways.