In all this heat, I’m still working on perennial/ shrub beds. This will be a quick post, but for those of you who do your own gardening and end up having to clean up existing beds, I discovered a great “ hack” as they say. Well, likely others have discovered it as well, but it’s new to me.
I have dastardly creeping bellflower in some beds and it’s nasty to get rid of. You must dig deeply to get at the main roots, not just the little spidery white roots just under the surface. Of course, I have established shrubs and plants like peonies and spirea that I am not going to dig up and then put back in place, but they are big and scratchy in the case of spirea, so I took some foam covered gardening wire ( or tie-back) and wrapped it around the whole shrub as best I could and cinched it in and twisted the wire closed. This gave me lots of room, let me see what was under all those branches, and doesn’t hurt the plants at all.
I did this to try and control a giant Annabelle hydrangea, too. It worked really well!
Also, I just planted a Rose of Sharon because I needed something that would be in bloom at this time. It wasn’t blooming when I planted it, but it had several buds. Well, look at this!!
Those blooms are huge! I couldn’t believe it. And… they were 25% off! I love end of season sales!
What spectacular blooms!
ReplyDeleteLots of creeping bell flower here, it is even in our lawn. We do what we can to keep it under control. I do not let it go to seed and just keep pulling away.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
They are gorgeous. What a treat to get blooms on a late planting.
ReplyDeleteThe rose of Sharron is gorgeous. You're doing a tremendous job!! Such a lovely garden and better to come. We'll done!
ReplyDeleteYou have put in a lot of hard work! It's looking great. Good tip o. The ties to control bushes. My Annabelle is a wild woman too.
ReplyDeleteThat althea is stunning! What a deal.
Your borders and plant blooms are spectacular. Sale items that prosper are always appreciated.
ReplyDeleteI also use stretchy bungie cords to wrap around ornamental grasses and then use my hedge trimmer to cut through the entire grass at the base. Lifting it away in one bundle makes the job easy.
That dratted creeping bellflower. It is here too, and spreading throughout the town. I have a lot of landscape rock, with fabric underneath (from previous owner) and getting the tap roots is nigh on impossible.
ReplyDeleteI've never tried using a cord to hold back a plant, but I can certainly see how that works. The rose of sharon is lovely! I picked up a couple of mums to replace some petunias that were struggling. Both plants looked sickly, but they are doing well now.
That's a good idea. Spirea have so many scratchy branches, it is hard to dig under and around them. The Rose of Sharon is beautiful. I love them, but everyone I plant, the deer eat. You have a wonderful place for a flower bed.
ReplyDeleteMy gardens started off so pretty and well weeded but with the heat they are in a sad state of affair.
ReplyDeleteCathy
Next spring, the rewards will show.
ReplyDeleteRose of Sharon always seems to seed itself right by my foundation so I keep cutting it out. Too deep to dig out and transplant, which is a pity because they are lovely. I'll have to try that on my overgrown Annabelles!
ReplyDelete