Helter Skelter;Plant a Perennial Flower Bed with Random Leftovers

There is a hawk screaming in the distance as I smilingly contemplate the robust increase in the number of species I’ve added, just by installing a little flower bed. Basically it went from one species (overgrown Liriope) to twenty+ not counting the seeds scattered to grow at will. All but 3 plants were dug from my old garden and shoe-horned into a small flower bed about 6 feet deep by 18 feet long that slopes down across the front of the house, so the drainage is wonderful. 

As it rounds a corner, the flower bed narrows considerably, but still has room for some hot sun-loving perennials on the south side of the house. 

After the Liriope was dug and bushels of it were discarded, I amended the Georgia red clay with compost and Nature’s Helper so now it’s pretty easy to dig. This flower bed gets direct morning sun and no sun at all past noon, so it is ideal for almost every perennial and azaleas too. Hope there is enough sun for the Storybook Roses I’m trying out. 

The majority of plants were planted 12 days ago; not yet time to see what will make it and what will not. Since this is Zone 7 in Atlanta, there will be plenty of time for the transplants to root in the summer-warmed soil before cold weather and hard frosts arrive. 

Here is a list of the plants I’ve included, all of them odds and ends from moving except for purchase of one pot each of Parsley, Foxgloves and English Thyme. The list is arranged according to location, with tall, medium and short plants.

Background plants

George Tabor and a second Azalea (mystery)

Swamp Sunflowers

Gold Euonymous

Amsonia hubrichtii native bluestar flower,  2011 Perennial of the Year

Digitalis 'Excelsior Hybrids'

Middle Plants

3 Storybook Roses 'Little Women' pink

Helleborus x orientalis 'Deep Purple"

Shasta Daisies

Pink daisy Mums

Daylily 'Colonel Scarborough' early yellow

Lungwort, Pulmonaria longifolia

Lemon balm

Late yellow Mums

Foreground Plants

Creeping golden lemon thyme

Upright English thyme

Japanese Roof Iris, white

Japanese Roof Iris, lavender

Spearmint

Lamb’s Ears

Parsley

Seeds

Rudbeckia triloba

Ironweed

Zinnias

 iPhone photos by gardengeri

Can you see the tiny seedling parsley? I bought a pot of young parsley and separated them and planted each long tap root in moist soil, taking care to keep everything moist and shady. Transplanting parsley is a 50/50 proposition. <<>> Let me know how you "walk on the edge" in your garden.