A Hurricane Planting

It began with a spare afternoon earlier this week. This is an extensive planting so there was no reason not to get started when the opportunity presented itself. The original plan was to start next Monday.

Then Irma appeared on the horizon. The diagnosis for next week was looking extremely wet. The gardener doesn't like working in that. A new planting would appreciate it immensely.

So the race is on to get as much planted and mulched as I can before the rains arrive Monday evening. I had a plan. The plants had been ordered. Things are moving right along.

The three key plants to cover the slope next to the Almighty Falls are Rhus typhina 'Bailtiger', a Staghorn Sumac, Parson's Juniper and Streib's Findling' Cotoneaster.

Each block of plants steps down in height so as not to block the view of the Almighty Falls from above.

The flat as a pancake 'Streib's Findling' Cotoneaster will be the section closest to the old wall that forms the bowl the stream channel lives in.

There were many things to consider in making plant choices. Mature height - I did not want to block the view from above. Maintenance - I'm getting old. Enough said. Fussy plants were out. There was a lot of ground to cover on a steep slope. - Spreaders and suckers. A visual and physical barrier was needed to help keep guests off the slope and away from the Falls.

Aesthetics are important too. There is sharp textural contrast between the three main blocks of plants. I have evergreens for winter, excellent spring and fall color in the sumac and spring bloom and fall berries in the evergreen cotoneaster.

How is the Almighty Falls doing you might ask. Just fine thank you.

Operational overflow continues praise be. The filters have done a fine job keeping the water clean by sucking up the expected mud washed into the system from the recent rains.

More pond plants have been added to the stream channel and another sack of baby koi were planted in the pond.

The island was even planted with Broadleaf Arrowhead that I found in a compost pile this week after a major pond cleaning at another client's last spring. It was very much alive and trying to grow so I grabbed it. I found some live Thalia dealbata in the same compost pile. It came along as well.

That look of a hideous pile of rocks all out there by its lonesome will soon be a thing of the past. The greenery is coming.

The Almighty Falls is being enveloped into the picture of the larger garden.

It's a hurricane planting. Best of all, I won't have to think about keeping a substantial new planting watered.