Actually, I have two areas like this. Boxwoods form a C shape around - well, nothing now. Before, as you can see above, I had a rose standard in the middle, with dianthus planted as a groundcover underneath. But the standard had been going into decline for some time (the cats have been using it as a scratch post), and the dianthus was covered up with dichondra. I found it impossible to get rid of the dichondra without pulling up the dianthus along with it. (For those that don't know their dichondra from their dianthus, the dianthus is the pretty, pink, flowering groundcover above, while the dichondra is the low, round, creeping groundcover (weed!) below.)
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| :( |
So, that's what I did. I pulled it all up. All of it - dichondra, dianthus, and the standard, too. And all I was left with was a blank spot. A fresh start. A new beginning.
What to plant... what to plant... what to plant...
I thought of another standard. But why not do something different?
A tree? No, that would be too tall, and too close to the house.
How about a tall, thin pot with a climbing miniature rose cascading down the sides? I really liked this idea, and if cost were not a factor, I may have ended up with this.
But, I decided that something small would look just right (and fit in my budget, too). Something that would surprise and delight anyone coming down the walk. It would be a small treasure hidden inside the C-shaped boxwood hedge. And so, I began to think about a small plant that could fit inside this boxwood treasure chest.
I have an Apricot Drift rose in another area. I have been very impressed with this rose. It makes me smile each time I see it blooming - which is seemingly constantly.
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| Sweet Drift |
So, I decided upon a Sweet Drift rose here, and an Icy Drift rose in the other C-shaped boxwood area (they don't need to match, as they are not both seen at the same time).
Ta-dah!
Drift Roses grow to around 2 ft tall, and spread to around 3 ft wide. They are very disease resistant, and hardy in zones 4 through 11. I think I'm going to like this area even better than I did before!
I also made a start with my fall to-do list, but cannot do that much because there are still lots of flowering plants. You made a nice and cheaper solution with drift roses for your C shaped boxwood area. It's always fun to make plans and new ideas for a next season.
ReplyDeleteYes, part of the fun of doing all those fall chores is being able to tweak an area - and maybe get a new plant or two in the process!
DeleteHolley, in my plan-to-do I have to plant tulips and daffodils. But the lobelia is still blooming in that place. What to do? I decided to postpone my plan for 2 weeks.
ReplyDeleteThat's the problem with bulbs. They go under things! I think we gardeners are suppose to think of them first! But that's really a hard thing to do. Good luck getting your bulbs under the lobelia.
DeleteHolley, can the Drift roses tolerate some shade? They might be a good pick for a semi-sunny slope down by the trail.
ReplyDeleteI think it depends upon just how shady it is. Morning sun is best, and if your slope gets morning sun and afternoon shade, I think they would be fine. If it's too shady, they might get leggy and not bloom as well. If it's shady all morning, and again in the afternoon, I would be very reluctant to put a rose there. Maybe you can get one or two and see how they do before planting the entire slope. Good luck!
DeleteMy to-do list now, is to have a rest and let spring and summer kick in. My roses are just about to flower. Your rose looks so much nicer than the dianthus and the dichondra. I think roses look great up against a contrasting shrub.
ReplyDeleteOh, isn't spring wonderful when the roses begin the flower! I can imagine how excited you are. Sometimes just waiting for spring to kick in is the hardest thing to do! :)
DeleteI like it there. I have that Rose also and like you kept watching it bloom like crazy this year. One of the few things that did here. Like the area much better now.
ReplyDeleteCher Sunray Gardens
Glad to hear you've had good results with these roses. I like their little size, too. Sometimes a little rose like that is just the perfect compliment!
DeleteLists always make things go better!
ReplyDeleteWhat would we do without lists?! I wouldn't know what to do first! :)
DeleteSuch lovely rose. My roses are finishing their blooming.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear your roses are through. Mine are just starting to put on their fall flush. They take a break here in the summer because it's too hot for them. Spring and fall are when my roses look their best.
DeleteMy To-Do list is always several pages long. I love the accomplished feeling of deleting tasks off it. I like the idea of tucking the roses into the boxwood. Will they get enough air circulation? That's a big problem here, because of our humidity. Tearing out plants can be frustrating but it's fun having a new canvas to design with. :o)
ReplyDeleteWhile blackspot conditions occur a few times out of the year here, we do not have the pressure that you obviously have. It's too hot here during most of the year for it, and we don't get as much rain, either. Anyway, it gets a lot of sun there - south facing, and I think it will do fine, especially since the drift roses are so very disease resistant. Good luck on getting your to-do list done!
DeleteHow fun to have pretty little niches and nooks like that! And even better to have a task that can be finished so easily (and cheaply)!
ReplyDeleteI love these two little C-shaped areas. I stole the idea from a restaurant landscape! Yes, I liked that the rose was such a cheaper alternative than a large pot, and I think I'm going to like it just as well, maybe better.
DeleteIt looks very good. That boxwood is nice to set it all off too.
ReplyDeleteI think it does give the boxwood a little more importance. Of course, time is the true judge of how well I'll like it. :)
DeleteOh how pretty, and a new rose for me to look for.
ReplyDeletePS thanks for the supportive comment, it's nice to know that hard as it is to go brown, it's worth it.
Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams
I think these little roses are supposed to be very good, if you have a place for something small. I know all about brown lawns. Ours is brown more than it's green!
DeleteI love secret garden areas that delight you with the unexpected. No to-do list for me, except don't buy bulbs that I'll forget to plant. :)
ReplyDeleteI didn't buy any bulbs this year. And yes, I've had bulbs that I've forgotten to plant, too! I really want a lot of irises, but it seems like plants (including bulbs) have gotten quite expensive lately, so my dream may have to wait a while.
DeleteThose are some fantastic looking boxwoods, and considering where you live, really fantastic looking. Picky things.
ReplyDeleteInteresting you think boxwoods are so picky. I throw them anywhere - sun, shade, dry, moist. They do very well for me. Maybe it's the difference in soil PH.
DeleteLovely Holly, I like the rose there. Will you plant dianthus there again as ground cover?
ReplyDeleteI've been thinking about putting some ground cover there. I probably won't do anything until at least spring, but I'm not sure if it'll be dianthus that gets planted there. I'll just have to see what catches my eye, and fuels my imagination.
DeleteThe to do list....funny enough I just finished doing one just before I read your blog. That rose is lovely, excellent choice me thinks :)
ReplyDeleteI think the spring to-do list and the fall to-do list are almost the same - clean up, etc. But they feel different. I'm always in a rush in the spring to get everything looking perfect before things start blooming, but in the fall I feel more relaxed about getting things done - perhaps because we have such a long autumn.
DeleteI often pair boxwood and roses. The standard would have been nice too, but the dianthus is hard to keep weed free. It really needs to become a weed itself and fill in quickly to be used as a groundcover. They will do that, but conditions have to be suitable to that plant alone. Any rose looks wonderful with boxwood. I wish more varieties were disease free here.
ReplyDeleteI think boxwood and roses are such a classic look, for a lot of good reasons. I was disappointed that the dichondra overtook the dianthus. I tried to weed it out by hand, but it was impossible to remove it all, and it got away from me.
DeleteI like the idea of the hidden surprise, and the rose is lovely.
ReplyDeleteI think I'm really going to like this look. And I hope the rose likes its new home!
DeleteMy fav time of year to do tweaking and I have lots I am moving and areas to be amended...I love just tweaking it until it just looks perfect...if ever :)
ReplyDeleteAnd adding another lovely rose...perfect Holley!
I don't know if mine ever looks perfect, but it's fun trying to get it that way! :)
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