The Garden Muddles

Yep, a flower blooms on Nov. 29th

One would assume after nearly 20 years of gardening in this place I call collectively May Dreams Gardens that I would have named every garden bed and border.

Don’t assume such a thing. I have not done so, but came a little closer to naming all of them a few weeks ago when I finally decided on names for the plantings along the sides of my house.

Those plantings, one on the east side, one on the west side, are  a mish-mash of shrubs and miscellaneous herbaceous plants and never seemed to rise to the level of “garden border”, at least in my mind.

On the west side, there is a little puddle of hardy geraniums which add spring color, for awhile.  Down from them are three large lilacs, which go by the rather long name of Syringa pubescens subsp. patula ‘Miss Kim’. I just call them ‘Miss Kim’.

They all three could use a big whacking back and I intend to do just that after they bloom next spring.  Hidden under them is a little peony that has no chance of doing much more than growing a few leaves because the lilacs take all the sun, moisture, and nutrients. Big bullies.

That side is finished out with a spirea, variety unknown, another puddle of violets, a struggling iris, and a juniper, Eternal Gold™, Golden Sea Green Juniper, Juniperus chinensis ‘Etgozam’. It’s a lovely golden shade and looks good against the dark brick of the house. Behind it, there’s a trellis with a tri-color climbing honeysuckle vine that does all right, but not great.

In early spring, an orderly row of hyacinths comes up along the far edge of the planting in shades of white, blue, and pink.

It’s a mish-mash of plants and I’m not likely to straighten it out any time soon, so I’ve given it a name that befits such a planted area…. drumroll…  The Lilac Muddle.  Because muddle is a good word for a mish-mash of anything.

On the east side, it’s a similar mish-mash of plantings which include several Deutzias, a lone Fothergilla, the air-conditioning unit, a big blank spot where I removed a Low-Gro Sumac, a splash of tiger lilies, some vinca ground cover, and a few spots of lily-of-the-valley.  I’m thinking of completely clearing out that area  and planting it up with most likely a completely different mish-mash of plants.

It, too, will be called a muddle… The Ginkgo Muddle.  Because that’s the side of the house where I also planted a ginkgo tree.

Whew. I’m sure glad I finally named those garden areas. They fit in well with Neighbor’s View, Plopper’s Field, The Shrubbery, The Vegetable Garden Cathedral, Bird’s Blanket, The Woodland Follies, August Dreams Gardens, Family Circle, and The Garden of Southern Follies and Delights.

Now, I have just one more area of the garden to name. No rush. I’m sure the right name will come along in due time.