Throughout the first year in 2021, I experimented with different plantings for this bed. It is important go through an entire year to get a feel for the sunlight for each season and the wildlife to come. I installed an 80 gallon rain barrel early on to start collecting water for the potted plants on the patio. Cinder blocks made a good foundation. I planted quite a few daffodils but the first winter they did not flower as well as I would have liked. Giving them some more time to adapt.
The red spider liles (Lycoris radiata) and oxblood lilies (Rhodophiala bifida) did really well the first year. All of the salvia varities I planted in the first year took off nicely and returned the second year. The daylily in the background is a double orange, (Hemerocallis fulva ‘Kwanso’). The Japanese maple ( Acer palmatum ‘Emperor I’) struggled the first two years. The first year, a late freeze wiped out all the leaves and they did not return until the following spring.
I really love coneflowers, but have had a difficult time keeping the bunnies out of the garden and they love coneflowers (Echinacea) and Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia). They ate them to the ground. In 2023 I’ve been forced to create cages with chicken wire to keep the bunnies out.
