Spring is here and we’re updating some of the plantings and other flora around our home. After a weekend (really the better part of the last month) of intense work around the yard things are finally coming together.

Some of the updates include:

1. We created a border of rabbit-proof fencing around our roses since they got off to a slow start last year from critter-nibbling. I turned the sod so that the rectangular bed is all planing-ready and we put in a good number of marigold seeds to beautify the four rose bushes.

2. My parents let us take some peonies and lily-of-the-valley from their home to add to ours. We added the lily-of-the-valley to the front planter on the northwest corner of our property. More on that flower bed later.

To find a nice sunny patch of ground for the peonies, we pulled out five dwarf Nordic Spruces from under our family-room window (behind our garage). That was tough work (getting the root balls up) but very rewarding as we never really liked those bushes and they trapped leaves all the time. The peonies continue to sprout under that window and ought to be a beautiful addition when in bloom. Perhaps Tina will let me grow my hops there next year too?!

3.  Getting back to the front of the house – the north west planter was previously over-grown with three burning bushes (that were really the size of a burning-forest) and an eager cedar bush. We pulled all those out last fall and left only the flowering crab tree in that spot. The open view is so much better! The planter also gets more daylight than it ever did before and this spring we’ve already noticed more varieties of Hostas coming up.

Last year I received some lily-of-the-valley form a co-worker and put them in the back of this planter bed. They came up and did OK, but nothing that exciting. This year we pulled about 5 times as many from my parent’s home and continued the ground cover around the edge of the planter that meets the sidewalk.

4. After pulling the bushes in the back of the house went so well I decided to re-landscape the front of our house as well. I went to five different landscaping stores on Sunday after church with some pre-planned ideas and ended up returning with some great plants. In short, I put “Little Henry” Virginia Sweetspire (also known as Spritch) bushes in the old spots where the yew bushes used to grow, I spaced some Elijah Blue Fescue behind those plants.

I also bought a 1/2 wine barrel and planted an assortment of Gladioli in that right in front of our porch. We ordered a “Bourbon” clematis to train on the support post of the porch roof too.

This fall we intend to space some tulips and daffodil bulbs along the front of this planting border too, which will add some sharp spring color to the mix.  I also have a lead on some “Cleopatra” day lilies that I intend to introduce to this area of our house as well.

5. I ordered some “Aprodite” hostas to plant under the flowering crab tree in our northwest planter bed – the big green ones with the fragrant double white blossoms in August. That left the front of that bed in need of a ground cover, so a worker at Pleasant Valley garden center pointed me towards “Japanese Spurge.” I think I have seen this stuff before, but never realized what it is – it is a rhizome growing ground cover (like lily-of-the-valley) and it also gets a sweet-smelling flower on it. I bought a flat and spread the plants around the front of the planter bed and am already enjoying the sweet smell it produces.

Well, just typing that reminded me how much work it has been, but I think the planning and work will pay off when plants start to pop and spread their blooms. Meanwhile, I have lots of dandelions to pull!